The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter
by Well I Don't Mind
Summary: Princess Andrea of Albion starts her journey to overthrow Logan, and expects dangerous enemies and places. But she never expected to meet the devilishly handsome sharpshooter Captain Benjamin Finn, and suddenly, her quest becomes so much more intricate.
1. The Mourningwood Fort

**Summary:** The Old Hero Queen left two children; Logan and Andrea. As the former became the King of Albion, the latter was destined for something greater. Together with her mentor, Sir Walter Beck, she travels the country to gain followers to overthrow Logan and repair the Albion he had destroyed. She knows it isn't going to be easy. She did count on meeting dangerous enemies and gain a few scars, but she never thought she'd meet the devilishly handsome sharpshooter Captain Benjamin Finn, and her quest becomes much more complicated than she first expected.

**A/N:** So, I've finished the game like.. three times, and every time I drool over Ben Finn. I know, I know; I'm pathetic, but I know I'm not the only one! Anyways, when I first understood that he wasn't romancable, I was furious (HOW COULD YOU **DO** THIS, PETER MOLYNEUX? TT_TT) but THANK GOODNESS for fanfiction, right? ;) Anyways, here's the first chapter of _The Sorceress and the Sharpshoote_r.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Fable world, only my own characters and my own little twists in the plot.

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**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter**

**Chapter One**_  
The Mourningwood Fort_

The Old Hero Queen had been dead for almost fourteen years. Sir Walter Beck had accepted that, even though her death still pained him. He remembered looking at her with the highest of respects, and even with adoration. The least he could do was to protect her daughter. Princess Andrea was just like her mother. Only seventeen of age and already well on her way of becoming a great Hero. But for the moment, he feared for her health. The trip through the Hole had taken its toll on her, both on her energy and her body. Mourningwood Fort wasn't far away, and if they would just find refuge there, he was sure Andrea would recover swiftly.

Andrea and her furry friend, Bernard, walked right behind him, just as relieved as he was to see the sunlight again.

"Is it far still?" Andrea asked, exhausted.

"No, it should be—yep, there it is." He stopped to put his hands on his hips. "It might not be much, but here dwells the best of men; Major Swift and his soldiers."

Andrea nodded.

As they approached the fort, a red-coated soldier stood on the crest of it, aiming a rifle at them. "Cease your movement! Be you men, or be you Hollow Men?"

"Have you gone you daft, boy?" Walter boomed. "Open up the doors."

"O-oh, Sir Walter… I-I didn't see you... I'll just—open the gates!" The rather young and gangly soldier turned to shout the orders, and the gates swung open.

Walter and Andrea entered after Bernard, and were greeted by Major Swift himself. "There he is! The one and only Major Swift!"

"Ah, Sir Walter!" the tall, old soldier said with his pipe in his hand, as usual. "What a pleasure to see you again, old friend!"

"Swift, you old sod!" Walter laughed as he embraced his old friend and gave him a pat on the back. "So, this is what Logan has forced you to do? Hide in the Land of the Dead?"

"And dead it is," Major Swift said with a sigh. Then he looked over at Andrea. "I see you've brought company."

"Ah, Swift, this is Andrea, the—"

"The Princess of Albion, of course," a soldier next to Major Swift said and smirked with a vexing, women-hunting smirk. "A pleasure to meet you, your Highness. I'm—"

"Ben Finn, you keep your mouth shut!" Walter boomed. He wasn't particularly fond of the young captain. A sharpshooter, indeed, but was just as sharp-tongued and could drive any man to madness. It was not the kind of man he wanted to represent the army to the Princess.

"Well, Wally," Ben laughed. "Aren't you overreacting just a bit?" Then he turned to Andrea again. "I'm Captain Benjamin Finn of the Albion Royal Army. Well, what's left of it, anyways."

"Greetings, captain," Andrea said and nodded.

Walter was proud of the strong authority in her voice. She was after all, if the revolution went as planned, to be the new Queen of Albion.

"Ah, yes," Major Swift said. "Logan's sister. You've made a foolish and brave decision to come here, I hope you're aware of that?"

"Indeed I am, good sir," Andrea said. "But my brother needs to be stopped. This has gone too far."

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" Ben Finn said and smiled broadly and winked at the Princess.

Walter harrumphed loudly.

"What?" Ben asked and shrugged.

Major Swift rolled his eyes. "Captain Finn, take the Princess to the mortar and show her how to use it." Then he looked at her. "You'll probably be using it the whole night."

"I thought the Hollow Men were just myths," Walter said lowly.

"So did we, before we came here," the Major said. "But we have lost many men. Lieutenant Simmons, for example, was killed just recently."

"Nasty creatures," Walter muttered. He didn't like it one bit. If he would decide, he would be lying on the beaches of the lightest, largest and friendliest of places there was. Instead he was stuck here, in Mourningwood, preparing for an encounter with the living dead.

**.:*Ö*:.**

"Have you gone daft, boy?"

Andrea laughed a bit at the soldier's nervous reaction. Walter could be a bit harsh some times, but he never meant anything bad. But Andrea was grateful to see the heavy wooden gates open before her, when she knew that rest and food awaited her. She was sure that Bernard shared her enthusiasm, too, for he ran ahead of them, into the fort. She was tired, and hungry and feeling dirty. Not more than a few weeks ago she was living like the Princess she actually was, and now, she was ankle-down with mud, bloodstained, sweaty and just plain dirty. No doubt she smelled, too. It was no appropriate way for a Princess to look. And now she was to mingle with soldiers, and probably soldiers that hadn't seen anything even close to a woman for a long time. She was nervous, but had decided to show them that she was above them, as their Princess and soon-to-be Queen. She straightened her stature and held her head high. If she smelled ill, then let is seem like she meant to smell ill. As they entered the fort, she couldn't keep from looking around. The red-coated soldiers were all pausing in their activities to look at the new arrivals. Two soldiers greeted them; one tall, slender, older soldier with a rather large moustache and a smoking pipe, and one younger, just a little bit shorter with dirty blonde hair and eyes blue as forget-me-nots. She straightened herself a bit more, to compensate for her lack of height, and was determined to look down upon these men.

"There he is! The one and only Major Swift!" Walter and the taller man, Major Swift, greeted each other as old friends, but the other soldier kept his eyes on her, and she did not like that. Perhaps it didn't mean anything and was nothing but a simple lingering in the lack of anything else to look at, and she was just overreacting, but she did not want to come off as an object of sight.

"Ah, Swift, this is Andrea, the—" Andrea was ready to greet the Major with the correct formality, but was surprised by the younger soldier cutting in.

"The Princess of Albion, of course," he said as a crooked smile appeared on his lips, and Andrea had to tighten her jaw to not look upset but keep her face and posture. "A pleasure to meet you, your Highness," he continued and reached out to grab her hand. "I'm—"

"Ben Finn, you keep your mouth shut!" Walter cut in and the soldier lowered his hand.

"Well, Wally," he laughed heartily, "are you not overreacting just a bit?" Then he turned his blue eyes on Andrea again. "I'm Captain Benjamin Finn of the Albion Royal Army." Then he shrugged. "Well, what's left of it, anyways."

She struggled to find a good response to it. He had behaved gentlemanlike after Walter had barked at him, but he still gave her the impression of being a worthless scoundrel. "Greetings, captain," was the only thing she could manage to say, and gave him a nod to show him respect.

"Ah, yes," Major Swift said and waved his pipe around. "Logan's sister. You've made a foolish and brave decision to come here, I hope you're aware of that?"

"Indeed I am, good sir," Andrea said. But she wasn't even too sure if she really knew what she was getting herself into. Her brother had always been a good leader, and a fantastic big brother, but of late, he had been the worst. Neglecting his kingdom and causing poverty and suffering wasn't like him at all, and she didn't want to believe that perhaps he had just turned from a good-hearted King to a tyrant overnight. Something must have triggered him. Nevertheless, these last few years were enough for him to be both hated and feared. "My brother needs to be stopped. This has gone too far."

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" the blonde captain smiled and set his hands on his hips. Then he winked one of his blue eyes, to her, and she wanted to gasp at the inappropriate behaviour, but kept her face stiff.

Walter harrumphed just as he always did when mare villagers glanced at Andrea in Bowerstone.

"What?" the captain asked nonchalantly and shrugged. Andrea wanted to slap him and tell him to respect the ones with higher rank.

But Major Swift rolled his eyes with a light sigh. "Captain Finn, take the Princess to the mortar and show her how to use it." Then he looked at her. "You'll probably be using it the whole night."

Andrea nodded, but inside, her heart sank. Was she really going to have to be alone with that obnoxious, nonchalant captain? She'd rather spend some time alone with a Hobbe. But she followed Captain Finn away from the safety of Walter and towards the crowd of red-coats.

"Well, Princess," Ben Finn said light-spirited. "Welcome to Mourningwood Fort and the best and bravest bunch of sods you'll ever meet."

More soldiers greeted her as she walked pass them, and some gave her very inappropriate looks, which was what she had dreaded. However, the captain saw how they were looking at her, and immediately put them in place.

"Back at yours stations, buck privates!"

"Yes, sir."

"Forgive my men," Ben said and looked over his shoulder towards Andrea. "They have been out here far too long, with only each other as company. I bet your Majesty can imagine what they see when they look at you." That crooked, nonchalant smile spread across his face again as he turned his head forwards.

Once again she fought the urge to slap him. He knew who he was talking to, yet he dared to speak as he did. She found that utterly unprofessionally for a Captain. Although, she had to admit, that his fearlessness might be what they needed to overthrow Logan.

"Now, here we are," the captain said as they reached the head of some stairs. Looking out over the woods was a heavy iron mortar, and next to it was rather young soldier almost covered with bandages. "Ah, and here's Private Jammy. He's called that because he'd the jammiest sod in the bunch. He'll be your loader."

"Wounded seven-hundred and twenty-four times and still standing!" the youngster said proudly. Andrea only looked at him astonished.

"You'll get used to him," Ben assured her. "Now, if you walk to stand by the mortar I will instruct you of how to use it."

Andrea did as told, even though she did it with authority and pride. She took a grip of the handle, but as she moved it about, she found it extremely difficult to keep it steady.

"No, no," Ben Finn laughed. "You need to be more firm yet gentle—here, let me show you." He then stood behind her, gripping the handle himself, his hands over hers, and pinning her between himself and the mortar. Her heart was racing; this was an abomination! "Now, Princess," he said in her ear, "when you move the mortar, you'll have to think of it as… well, think of it as a woman; headstrong, but needs a firm hand. Not to firm, though, because if ruled by too firm a hand, it will only disobey you even more. I bet that is how you work, your _Majesty_." He squeezed her hands, and she gasped.

"Mr Finn!" she said and pushed him aside with all the might she could gather. It wasn't very impressive yet, but in a few years, men like him would respect her just as greatly as the people of Albion had respected her mother. "Don't forget who you're talking to!"

"Oh, my good lady, I would never forget who you are," Ben smirked. "Now, try doing as I told you, and you'll see it will be much easier to operate."

Andrea clenched her jaw and gripped the handle again. She tried to push the captain's inappropriate behaviour out of her mind, and concentrate on the mortar. But his voice echoed in her mind; _"Think of it as a woman; headstrong but needs a firm hand… I bet that is how you work, your Majesty." _The worst thing, really, was that he was right. Ever since she was a child, she had been head strong. Her brother had been the firm hand, leading her onto the path of righteousness. Without him, she didn't even want to imagine where she would be now. With that heavy acknowledgment, she took a deep breath and slowly moved the mortar. It was still hard for her to keep it steady, but by doing what Ben had said, even though she didn't like it, actually helped a lot. She had been moving it too fast before, and its weight had worked to her disadvantage and swung more than she wanted it to. But this time, she could keep it steady.

"Alright!" Jammy said. "Aim for the scarecrows. We use them for practice all the time."

Andrea nodded and fired her first shot. A direct hit. At least, that Captain Finn couldn't tease her about. She fired again. Direct hit, again.

"She's bloody brilliant, she is!" Jammy exclaimed towards Ben.

"Of course she is," Ben smirked. "She's the Princess, Jammy."

"Oh—you Majesty, I'm sorry!" Jammy gasped.

"Now, now, Jammy," Ben said. "Don't you worry. This one is a rebel."

"Yes, well, this _rebel_ requires some rest for now," Andrea demanded, tired of his remarks.

"Of course, Princess," Ben said and pointed towards the stairs. "After you, my lady."

Andrea left the mortar and headed down the stairs again, followed by the captain.

"There isn't much entertainment for a Princess I bet, but at least we've got warm fires and good food." Ben laughed a bit and came up next to her. "Then of course, that depends on what kind of _entertainment_ you seek."

"You are forgetting yourself again, Mr Finn," Andrea growled. "I did not say I sought entertainment, but rest." Then she felt her belly rumble.

"And food too, I suppose," Ben smirked. Then his smirk cracked up in a smile. "Don't be so serious, Princess! The situation has the responsibility for all seriousness. That means that you are allowed to joke around a bit. Skip the stiffness. You aren't in the castle anymore, Princess."

She couldn't argue on that.

"Anyway, here we have some of the men." They had stopped by three men talking by a camp fire. "These soldiers over here are Gould, Grove and Tick."

Andrea nodded, but did not open her mouth to speak.

"My, my, Finney, who's this lovely creature?" one of the men said with a big grin.

"That, Private Gould, is the Princess of Albion."

"Oh…" The soldier stood up and cleared his throat. "Welcome, your Highness!" He bowed deeply, and Andrea smiled. That was how they should greet her.

"Loosen up, Gould," Ben said. "The Princess here is tired and hungry. Why don't we all sit down for a game of cards and a round of ale? That's the least we can do until nightfall when we'll shatter some Hollow Men." Then he leaned over to whisper to Andrea, "That's when the _entertainment_ begins." Then he sat down by the fire.

Andrea wanted to give him a smart retort, but found herself speechless. So that's what he had meant by "entertainment"? Killing Hollow Men? She almost felt ashamed by thinking something else. Obviously, she had been living for too long under the rule of her overprotecting brother who had taught her that every man out there wanted only one thing with her. Oh, how he hated Elliot. _Elliot_… just by the thought of her love, her cheeks flooded with blood, and she had to close her eyes. All those people had to die for her to rescue him. It wasn't fair. And now she was afraid she'd never see him again! If she knew her brother correctly, he would question Elliot first of Andrea's whereabouts, but Elliot didn't know… what would Logan do to him then? Pain shot through her chest as she imagined the worst.

"The Princess doesn't want to play cards!" another soldier said. "We're only soldiers."

"Yeah, your Majesty," the third one said. "We don't have much to offer, but a straw bed and some meat and ale, if that suits you?"

"That will do just fine," Andrea said and managed a smile.

"Oh, come on, Princess!" Ben urged. "A game of cards? Of course you can join us!"

"Well," Andrea said, uncertain of what to say next. "I believe a game of cards won't do any harm."

"That's the spirit!" Ben exclaimed and patted the ground next to him. "Have a seat, Princess."

Andrea hesitated before she took a seat next to the captain. But it felt good to sit down, to rest a bit. The fire gave comfortable warmth, and when she before felt uneasy mingling with the soldiers, she now found a strange safety sitting next to the rude captain and his men. They passed along goblets of ale, and slices of dried meat. It tasted salty, but good, and the ale was rich. "What do you play?" Andrea asked.

"Oh, it's simple, Princess," Ben said. "It's called the Chieftain. The goal is to get as high a score as possible where the King is the highest and the Ace is the lowest. Everybody starts with three cards each. Then we place out first bets. Since money means very little here, we bet bullets. When we're content with our first bets, we receive another card each, place our bets, and when we're content with that betting, we receive our last card each. Then we make our final bet, and the one with the highest score wins. Easy, ey?"

"I believe so," Andrea nodded.

"Well then," the captain said, "share the deck, Grover."

The soldier shared the deck of cards, and there were more soldiers who came to join and soon, the game was on. The men betted wildly and when it was Andrea's turn, she dithered. She had only two twos and one five. Not a very high score. But she decided to stay in the game and placed her bet. "Three bullets from my Bonesmasher." She threw the ammunition in the pile with the other bullets, and the soldiers moaned loudly.

"The Bonesmasher?" one cried. "I fold."

"Fold."

"I fold."

"Wimps," Ben laughed. "I raise the bet with four bullets from my Red Dragon. It's an antique." He threw in four round bullets in the pile, and another soldier folded.

"Right, next card!" another soldier demanded. They were now four left in the game.

They received another card, and placed their bets. They all betted four regular bullets, and the final cards were given to them.

"Five regular bullets," Grove said.

"One used bullet from Reaver's Dragonstomper .48 from my own collection!" one soldier smirked and threw it onto the pile.

Ben laughed scornfully. "One used—my, oh my. Five _silver_ bullets. Your turn, Princess. It's going to be hard to beat that."

Andrea looked at her cards. Two twos, one five and two Kings. She had a good chance. But Ben was right; five silver bullets were hard to beat. She could throw in her ring. It had been a gift from her mother, containing the bullet she used when the shot Lucien Fairfax. It was unusable, of course, and held a high value to her, but she had nothing else to offer. And she didn't want to fold.

"Have nothing else to bet?" the captain teased.

Andrea sighed. "I'll throw in my ring. It is the bullet that killed Lucien Fairfax. Whoever wins this must promise to guard it with its life and not to sell the ring."

"A soldier's promise!" Grove said.

Ben Finn nodded, as did the other soldier.

"Show the cards!" Ben said, and the four players exposed their cards.

"Ah, bloody hell!" Grover complained. "Three tens and two twos… thought I'd make it with that."

"Well, I only have two eights, two fours and one six," the other soldier said.

"Guess it's between you and me then, ey, Princess?" Ben smirked.

"Two twos, one five and _two_ Kings." Andrea crossed her arms over her chest nonchalantly, certain of her victory.

"Well, I have one two, two fives, one Queen and one King. I win."

As the realisation sank within her, she gasped. She had lost her ring. She had lost her ring to a rude scoundrel! How could she have been so reckless? "One more game. Sudden death, you and me, all or nothing?" She tried.

Ben just laughed. "Sore loser?"

"I beg you!" she tried again.

"Well—" Ben began, but was interrupted by Jammy who stood shouting by the mortar.

"They are here!" he yelled. "They come now!"

Ben's face changed immediately from smug to serious. "Showtime." Then he rose and dragged Andrea to her feet. "Go up to the mortar. It's at a safer distance for you. Try to shoot as many as possible, and if you can, shoot them in groups." Then he picked up his rifle and turned towards the big gates right across from the gates Andrea and Walter had come through.

"Wait!" Andrea cried, and the captain turned. His blue eyes were burning. "Aren't you going to help me? What if I can't steer it again? What if I make a mistake? What if—"

"You'll do just fine, Princess," Ben assured her. "Just remember; treat it like you want to be treated." With a wink from his eye, he gave her that crooked smile and headed towards the gates.

"Yes, sir," she said, without thinking, and headed towards Jammy and the mortar. Why on earth did she call him "sir"? It was he who should acknowledge her as a superior! Nevertheless, she had to put all of their differences aside as she now realised that she really wasn't in the castle anymore. She couldn't keep expecting that people would treat her the way they did there. These people were revolutionaries. Rebels. They were to join her on the hunt for the throne. They would treat her like any other rebel. Not like royalty. As she reached Jammy, she could now see how the living skeletons were popping up one after another. She quickly grabbed the handle of the mortar and steadily moved it to the first target. "Load on, Jammy." She heard the mortar being loaded, and she fired her first shot. It smashed three Hollow Men. Then she kept on going. She smashed at least thirty more Hollow Men before the soldiers shouted at each other by the gate.

"We can't hold them any longer!" one soldier shouted.

"Prepare for battle!" Major Swift commanded.

"Your Majesty!" Jammy said and looked at Andrea. "We need to get down there!"

Andrea snapped her head towards the gate. It was shaking. Five men were pushing it back, but as the thick wood broke, skeleton hands reached in to grab the soldiers. Andrea quickly released the mortar and inhaled deeply. She felt how the warmth of the magic in her blood rushed through her, and as she exhaled she released a ball of fire towards the gate, only hurting her enemies. Then she drew her sword and hurried down to the rest of the soldiers, followed by Jammy. She came to a halt next to Walter.

"Nice work, Andrea," he said silently to her.

"Thank you," Andrea answered. She tensed as the Hollow Men smashed at the gate. All the men fell silent as they all waited for the ultimate assault. The enemies behind the gates roared and moaned ghostly as the gates smashed open, and dozens of blue orbs came flying into the fort. As they popped up from the ground, the soldiers started to fight for their lives. Andrea killed a few by herself, but the sword wasn't her strong side. Neither was is the pistol. She was much better at the magical stuff. Although, it took too much energy, and now before she had built up her magical strength, she had to be careful not to exhaust herself. But she managed to keep herself from harm. Walter was fighting by her side almost the whole time, probably to make sure she wasn't hurt. The Hollow Men kept coming, and Andrea slashed all she could. Then all of a sudden, she received a blow towards her arm, and she dropped her sword and fell to the ground. She was just about to reach for her sword again, when she heard a shot, and some cheers. She looked up into the captain's blue eyes, and his crooked smile. He reached out his hand to help her up.

"They're all gone now, Princess," he smiled. "We got them."

She took his hand, and he dragged her to her feet. Her arm hurt, but it didn't bleed. "Was that all of them?"

"There'll be more tomorrow, if you're still hungry for them," he smiled and winked.

She smiled weakly. Then she looked at Walter. "I think my shoulder is dislocated…"

Walter looked horrified.

"Ben in an expert on dislocated body parts," Major Swift said, but Walter objected.

"Ben Finn is_ not_ to touch the Princess!" he barked.

Andrea rolled her eyes. "Walter, please." She looked at her mentor. "I don't care who it is, as long as he gets my arm fixed. I can't fight like this. And it hurts."

"Let me see that, Princess," Ben said and grabbed her arm. "Oh, it's dislocated, alright. Now, hold on tight. This might sting a little. On the count of three; one…" Then he twisted her arm, and she screamed.

"_You said three_!" she yelled.

"It's better if you're not prepared," Ben said and shrugged.

She cradled her arm and whimpered. Then all of a sudden, a huge orb came flying, and dashed into the ground where Lieutenant Simmons was buried.

"I thought I told you to stay dead?" Major Swift growled.

"Does nobody listen to orders anymore?" Ben growled.

The deceased officer released a wave of magic, which took out all the other men, and left Andrea standing along against the enemy. She gasped loudly. Her arm was hurt. She couldn't use it well. The Lieutenant slashed his big swords, towards her, and she rolled away. "Walter!" she cried, but he lay unconscious on the ground. "Major Swift?" But he too lay unconscious. "Captain Finn?" No one could aid her. The skeleton Simmons charged at her, and she once again rolled away and managed to strike a blow towards the Lieutenant's back. But it was far from enough. She knew what she would have to do. She hurried away from the beast and concentrated hard. The magic inside her stirred. She had to charge a strong enough fire spell to vanquish the enemy. She felt the heat rise, and as the dead man sprinted towards her, she inhaled deeply and exhaled in a big, fiery explosion. The bones of the Hollow Man shattered, and as the fire faded, so did Princess Andrea.


	2. All Out of Peas

**A/N: **Here's chapter two! I'm actually kind of happy with it :) I hope you'll like it, too!

Enjoy!

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**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter**

**Chapter Two**_  
All Out of Peas  
_

"You think she's alright?"

"I hope so."

"It's your fault, Ben!"

"How could that possibly have been my fault?"

"You were the one who twisted her arm!"

"Twisted it right, yes!"

Andrea heard the men argue. She wanted to tell them to stop, but she had no strength. She was so tired, so exhausted, she could barely open her eyes. Then she felt a big, warm hand close gently around the hand of her wounded arm. "Walter," she breathed.

"I'm right here, child." Another hand closed around her free hand. Someone else was holding the other.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw five, perhaps six pair of eyes goggling down at her. On her left side was Walter, her faithful mentor, and on her right side, holding her hand, was none other than Captain Finn.

"Look now!" he said. "She's coming around! Welcome back, Princess." He smiled his crooked smile.

"Ben," Walter warned.

The captain rolled his eyes. "You're too serious, Wally! Lighten up!"

"Step away from the Princess, Ben," Walter boomed. "Your tainted hands of a scoundrel shall not touch the Royal Highness!"

"Walter, please," Andrea said hoarsely. "Water… I need some water."

"Of course, Andrea!" Walter said, and he hurried away.

Ben still held her hand in his and dragged her up to a sitting position. "There you go, Princess." He had one knee on the ground, and allowed Andrea to lean against him as Walter returned with the water.

Andrea saw Walter's furious look when he discovered the Princess so close to the captain, but Andrea was too tired and too exhausted to care of the matter. She was relieved that Captain Finn offered to support her, even though she knew it was an abomination to be this close to the rude, young captain. She greedily drank from the goblet of water that Walter presented to her, and then she sighed heavily.

"Well Walter," Major Swift said. "Indeed you were right; she is a Hero."

"She is," Walter said.

"I need to speak to you," the Major said and smoked his pipe.

Walter sighed, and then he glared at Ben. "Help her to a place to rest. And keep your hands off of her."

"That… will be very difficult, Wally," Ben smirked. "How am I supposed to carry her without hands?"

"No, no…" Andrea said weakly. "I can walk by myself."

"Well then," the captain said and helped her up to her feet. But as he let her go, she quickly fell again, and he caught her before she could touch the ground. "If you don't want to sleep right here in the dirt, I reckon you'd have to let me carry you, Princess."

She sighed, defeated. She had no strength to argue, and was actually very relieved she didn't have to walk by herself. The captain lifted her up with ease and carried her to one of the camp fires, and put her down on a straw bed and placed a rough woollen blanket over her.

"Get some rest, Princess. You still have many hours 'til sunrise."

"What about the Hollow Men?" she managed to ask.

"Oh, that's over for tonight," Ben smiled. "If you wish to exhaust yourself some more, then wait 'til tomorrow." And with that he left her side, and she slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. A much needed sleep.

She woke up some time later. The men were sleeping, and the fire next to her were only glowing charcoal. Even though the camp was asleep, she was now wide awake. She sat up. Even Bernard was sleeping soundly at her feet. She looked around. She saw Walter on the other side of the fire, snoring loudly, and Major Swift slept leaning towards the stone wall. So did Captain Finn. Other soldiers were lying on the ground, snoring. She didn't even dare to speculate of which one of the poor soldiers owned the straw bed she had been sleeping in. She sighed, regretting how she had been looking at the soldiers earlier that day. Surely, they were all men of honour. And yes, she was their Princess, and they should treat her as that, too, but what could she really expect from such neglected men of the crown? Her eyes fell upon the sleeping captain; his tangled blonde hair reminded her of a wild boy, but the body was that of a wild man. She felt her cheeks redden as she thought of how easily he had lifted her up in his arms, as if she weighed nothing. Then of course, she wasn't very large. Not even close of being the size of the Heroines she had read about. Then of course, their specialities were swords and guns. Hers was magic. But still… he had just picked her up, as if she was air, and carried her away, without blushing, without apologising. And that crooked smile of his… surely he had broken many women's hearts with that smile of his. But his behaviour was as vile and despicable as it was charming. It was as different to Elliot's as it could ever be. _Elliot_… her heart ached at the thought of him again. Oh, how she longed to see him, longed to feel his arms around her once more. Surely, he wasn't as rugged and masculine as Captain Finn, but he knew his place, and had always treated Andrea like the lady she was. It was shown even in the way he touched her… then all of a sudden, she heard a ghastly moaning outside the newly repaired gates. Her heart froze. She didn't know if she had the strength to fight another horde of Hollow Men. She sprung to her feet and hurried up to Walter, but hesitated just when she was about to wake him up. He seemed to sleep so deeply, and he certainly needed all the sleep he could get. He was old, and this journey had taken its toll on him. She decided to leave him be and walked up to the captain instead. She nudged him slightly on his arms crossed over his chest. "Captain Finn?"

No reaction.

She nudged him a bit harder. "Captain Finn! Please, wake up!"

He moved and mumbled, "I'm all out of peas, Quentin!"

"Captain Finn! Wake up!"

His eyes flung open and he quickly pulled his flintlock. She gasped and fell backwards on her bottom.

"Princess?" he asked and yawned as he put the gun away. "What in Avo's name—what's the matter?"

"I think there are more Hollow Men out there!" she hissed desperately.

He quickly got to his feet.

"Should I wake the others?" she asked.

"No," he ordered. "Come with me." Together they walked up to the mortar and looked out over the shooting area. Two Hollow Men walked around it, slowly and aimlessly. Ben Finn laughed a bit. "Was that the immediate danger? Two Hollow Men?" He shook his head and slid down against the half wall.

"Shouldn't we kill them?" Andrea asked.

"Nah, two of them won't do any harm, and if we shoot them, there will certainly be more of them."

Andrea sighed and sat down next to him.

"Why are you up anyway, Princess?" the captain asked. "Having trouble sleeping?"

"Well, I—" she said but stopped abruptly. "Yes."

"And why is that?"

Andrea clenched her jaw. For a while now, or ever since she left the castle, she had suffered from restless sleep and bad dreams. "I—I have nightmares."

"Oh yes," he said and leaned his head back. "My old friends…"

"You suffer from them, too?" Andrea asked and looked at him.

"Ever since I was sixteen years old," he said.

"Why?"

He smiled. "An old tragedy; I had a family once. Three brothers, one mother and one father. But they all died, one after another, shortly after I had turned fifteen. And Quentin, one of my brothers, was murdered in front of my eyes. I tried to protect him, but, well, it's wasn't very easy when all I had to shoot with was peas."

"Oh no!" Andrea gasped. "I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be," he said. "It's over ten years ago now. So, tell me, what is the story of your nightmares?"

She sighed. "The night I escaped the castle, there was a riot on the streets. Logan had arrested the ringleaders and was to kill them. My… friend, Elliot, and I were determined to stop him. But when we confronted him he was furious with me interfering and decided that the fate of those people was to lie in my hands. He gave me two choices; execute the ringleaders to spare Elliot or spare the ringleaders to execute Elliot. If I didn't choose, Logan would kill them all." She sighed again, and closed her eyes, on the brim of tears after the memory of the horrible incident.

"How dreadful!" he said. "And what did you choose?"

"I couldn't kill him," she whispered.

"Of course," he said with ease. "Young love."

"How did you—"

"It's obvious, Princess," he smiled and looked at her. "It's in your eyes."

She sighed. "He's my betrothed. Born a lord. Logan had even set the date for our wedding, but I believe my escape has cancelled any arrangement."

"Don't say that," the captain smirked. "I bet that when you're Queen, he will be your King."

Andrea smiled modestly.

"What man wouldn't want to be _your_ King?" That crooked smile spread across his lips, and Andrea felt her cheeks redden, and she looked away.

"Captain Finn, I suspect you find yourself often in the presence of women, since you find the exact lines to say with such ease that will make any girl blush." She refused to look the captain in the eye, and kept her eyes on her boots.

He laughed. "Are my words making you blush, Princess?"

She clenched her jaw. This was not appropriate, whatsoever. Sitting alone, in the middle of the night, with the captain, speaking of such things… no. Not appropriate at all. But she had to admit that she was fighting the girlish giggles that lied deep within her that were in their way out, and the shaking of her knees that were soon grave enough to be noticed.

Ben inhaled deeply and exhaled with a sigh. "I love the nightly air. It's always full of… surprises."

She could feel his piercing, blue eyes on her, and she swallowed. She couldn't let a scoundrel like him affect her so. She had Elliot. She was determined to find him. She loved him. But her skin prickled when she thought of the roguish captain looking at her like he did. She was but seventeen, and had never before felt the eyes of a man admiring her like that. Elliot had never dared to look at her in that way, and he was hardly truly a man yet. He was but seventeen, too. Not a good fighter, not fearless, not adventurous. But he was sweet. And loyal. And honourable. But to sit next to a man like Captain Finn made her heart beat faster, for he was truly a man. His superior skills in combat, his dark, full voice and his handsome face were enough for her to be nervous. She wished Walter and she would be on their way to Bowerstone as soon as possible, so she didn't have to be this close to him again.

"You look thoughtful," he observed.

"I have plenty on my mind," she replied coolly.

He looked away from her, and at once, she felt the warmth leaving her. She shuddered.

"Are you cold, Princess?" he asked and looked back at her.

"No," she lied. It was pretty chilly outside, but she didn't dare to think of what he would do if she admitted she was cold.

"You're shuddering."

"What a remarkable observation, Captain Finn," she said coldly. "I'm fine, thank you."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Very well," Captain Finn said and shrugged his shoulders. "Then I suggest we go back to the fire. Put some life into it again…" Then he rose. He yawned and stretched before he offered her his hand. She accepted it, and then they walked down to the fire in silence. They put some more wood into the fire to make it live again, and then they sat down, still in silence. Andrea leaned her head towards the stone wall, and only an hour or two left until sunrise, she fell asleep again.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Captain Benjamin Finn was a scoundrel. He knew that. The stripes would never disappear, even though he had now become a respectable captain in the Royal Army. He had only spent five years in the army, but it was still enough to make him captain. He liked it there, and even though the Mourningwood Fort wasn't the… most civilized of places, he could still be himself with the other soldiers there. Logan's Elite Royal Guards were so stiff, so serious, he received a headache whenever he saw them. The men here were much less complicated, and Major Swift was the best leader Ben had ever come across. Swift was like a father to him. And the life in the fort had been the same ever since they were stationed there. Until Sir Walter Beck and the Princess came. Already from the moment the young Princess took her first step into the fort, he could feel the change in all of the men, and all he could do was to laugh at it. Many of the men were new recruits, and some were still only boys. He could see the nervousness in their eyes as the proud Princess looked at them with those patronizing eyes. Ben, however, did not fear her. He knew she was as unsure as any young woman, and the fact that she woke him up tonight, afraid and panicked, proved it to him. He also enjoyed the fact that she blushed by with his flirtatious and roguish manner. But no matter how much he liked to humiliate the young Princess by his improper manner, he couldn't help but to feel somewhat sorry for her. With such a brother, and such a burden do bear, her live couldn't possibly be easy. At least not for a spoiled and pampered Princess. But the story of her betrothed… well, that really was heartbreaking. Nevertheless, he still enjoyed making her blush. "Is my words making you blush, Princess?" He smirked at her, pleased to see the pink shade upon her otherwise pale cheeks. Sure, the Princess of Albion was a pretty little creature, he couldn't deny that. With soft, auburn curls falling into her face, and emerald eyes shining in the marble face, she was a lovely creature, indeed. But she had been raised and groomed to perfection; she was the bloody Princess. King Logan was all about display. Of course he would make sure his sister was an object of exhibition. Ben almost felt sorry that her pretty little face would be covered with scars soon enough. He sighed deeply. "I love the nightly air. It's always full of… surprises." He smirked again, devilishly this time, for he knew she found it utterly embarrassing. He studied her closely; her rather small bosom was rising and falling quickly, and she focused her emerald eyes on her boots, as if there was something extremely interesting about them. Her fingers were entwined together, rubbing them nervously against each other. Her cheeks had received a darker shade of pink now, and he smirked even more. Oh, nothing went up to a nervous young woman in the middle of the night. He always felt so pleased with himself every time he created such feelings. He could feel her sweet scent from where he sat, and he couldn't deny the arousing feeling it gave. It was a while now since he had been with a woman, and it would be the greatest of boosts ever to say he'd bedded with the Princess, but he was more honourable than that. "You look thoughtful," he finally said.

"I have plenty on my mind," she replied, restrained.

He looked out over the starry night. Then he heard her shudder. He looked at her again. "Are you cold, Princess?"

"No." It was obviously a lie. He could tell immediately.

"You were shuddering," he acknowledged, and rolled his eyes discreetly.

"What a remarkable observation, Captain Finn," she muttered and glared at him, but quickly looked away. "I'm fine, thank you."

"If you say so," he smirked.

"I do."

"Very well," Ben said and shrugged his shoulders. "Then I suggest we go back to the fire. Put some life into it again…" He rose and yawned. He stretched his stiff arms and then offered her his hand. He didn't think she would accept it, and was actually surprised when she did. They walked down in silence. They put some new life into the fire and sat down, leaning against the wall. Ben yawned. He would fall asleep at any moment, and then be in the worst of moods when someone woke him up. But the Princess succeeded him in sleeping, and not soon after they'd sat down, her head was resting against the wall, her eyelids heavily closed. He observed her again; when she wasn't awake, and the posh, pampered Princess looked at the men in the fort with contempt, the girl next to him was actually very beautiful. The red on her cheeks had gone down a bit, but not entirely, leaving a soft pink shade upon them, making her looking healthy and innocent. She did certainly not look like someone capable of being a tyrant. For that, he smiled a genuine smile and leaned his head back himself.

_-0-_

"Ben? Benjamin Finn? BEN!"

"I can't! I'm all out of—" Ben flung his eyes open and looked wildly around. When he saw Major Swift stand in front of him, smoking his pipe, he understood he'd just been dreaming. "—peas…"

Major Swift stood laughing and his moustache was bouncing. He extended an arm to help Ben up. "Slept well, captain?"

Ben laughed and accepted the man's help. "Slept like a baby, Major."

"Of course you did after your nightly adventures," Major Swift said with a significant look.

"What?" Ben chuckled.

"We found the Princess sleeping on your shoulder this morning," Swift said. "Last time I saw her, she was lying on the straw bed."

Ben shrugged his shoulders. "She woke me up in the middle of the night, worried about two Hollow Men outside the gates. That was all. We lighted up the fire again, and we both sat down until we fell asleep. Nothing shameful, Swifty."

"Oh, Ben, I believe you," the old man laughed. "But Walter wasn't very happy this morning. Gave the Princess a good old scolding before he took her to melee practice."

Ben shook his head, feeling a bit sorry for the young Princess. Oh, well. He couldn't help having broad shoulders that were comfortable to rest ones head on.

"Oh, and another thing," Major Swift said. "Both Walter and I think it would be wise if you give her ranged lessons."

"Me?" Ben asked. He couldn't help but to smirk. "Old Wally agreed to that?"

"Not easily," Swift confessed. "But he did agree on that you were the best shot here."

"Blimey!" Ben laughed. "Well, I suppose I could teach her a thing or two."

"Keep it clean, Ben," Swift warned.

"Of course, sir," Ben said and shrugged. "She's the Princess."

**.:*Ö*:.**

Andrea muttered as she sparred with Walter. How on earth could she have fallen to rest upon Captain Finn's shoulder? And how could Walter have blamed her for something she did in her sleep? She would never do that on purpose! He should be angry with the captain. He was the one who had been acting inappropriately the whole night. But no, she was the Princess, and she was the one who should keep away from such men. Not the other way around. She charged towards her mentor, furiously. But he fended her off easily.

"Focus, Andrea!" he ordered her. "Put more strength into it!"

"That's the best I can do, Walter!" she growled.

Walter sighed and let his sword slid into its sheath again. "I know you can do better, Andrea!"

She sighed. "Not now, at least. I'm too upset."

"You can't let Ben Finn affect your training," Walter said. "What happened this morning was—"

"Not my fault!" Andrea cried. "I can't help what I do in my sleep! I must have simply fallen, and he was in the way."

"But why were you up with him at all?"

"I told you! I heard Hollow Men!"

"Why didn't you wake me, then?"

"Because I figured you needed the sleep!" She breathed heavily and then crossed her arms and sat down with her nose in the air.

"Andrea, don't act like you did when you were twelve!" Walter said wearily. "You have to let this go. You're training with Ben later."

"What?" she shouted and jumped to her feet. "In what?"

"Ranged combat," Walter said.

She gasped. "You can't be serious! Tell me you're only joking with me!"

"I don't like it either," Walter sighed. "But he is the best shot around here. He's much better than me. You couldn't have a better teacher."

"Why couldn't… I don't know, Major Swift teach me then?"

"Because Ben is better."

Once again Andrea crossed her arms over her chest and sat down. "Fine. Then I won't talk to you again."

"Andrea," Walter warned.

"I'm not talking to you."

The old man sighed heavily. "Fine. Sit here a mope." Then he left the Princess and walked back towards the fort. Andrea muttered. She pulled her knees up to her chin and kept on muttering. She hated being treated like child. She wasn't a child anymore! But both Walter and Logan had always treated her like one! But she was not. Not anymore. Wasn't _she_ the Hero Theresa had put the big responsibility on? Wasn't _she_ the one destined for greatness? And they saw her as a child! No, she could not stand that. She would show them all. She might not be a good swordswoman, nor a particularly good shot, but she was a terrific spellwoman. If she practiced she would, in time, become a great sorceress. She knew that. And she would show them all. Any fool could fight with a sword and shoot with a bow or a gun, but not everyone could cast a powerful spell. She folded her legs beneath her and closed her eyes. So far she had only succeeded to call forth fire, and she knew she would have to focus real hard to be able to connect with any of the other elements. She tried to put all of her worries away and only focus on the soft wind surrounding her. If she could just learn how to make it blow when it didn't and make it windless when it wasn't she would be able to advance from there quite easily. She breathed slowly, feeling every scent, every vibration of the forest. The birds sang amongst the trees, and she could hear the distant sound of a brook flowing wildly. She smiled. Such joy she felt whenever she entered a forest! It was indescribable. She knew that if she would ever learn advanced magic, it would be in the forest. She felt how her veins winded for the magic that would soon enough fill her whole body, and she took a deep breath. Letting the magic fill her body, she felt the rush of adrenaline spread through her body, and her heart beat faster. She prepared to release the power. She opened her eyes and pushed her hands forwards, releasing the magic she'd charged inside. But there was nothing. Not even a leaf on the ground stirred. She sighed heavily. She thought she was ready!

"Meditating in the woods?" she heard a voice say behind her. "Typical royalties."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Excuse me, captain, but I'd rather be alone."

"Oh, I understand," Ben said. "I would leave you if it wasn't because of your mentor."

Andrea clenched her jaw and turned to him. "Leave."

"Once again," Ben said and shrugged. "I would if it wasn't for Sir Wally. I'm here to teach you how to shoot."

"I know how to use a gun," she muttered and turned her head away.

"Well then," Ben said and threw a gun in front of her. "Prove it."

Andrea stared at the gun with horrified eyes. It was his flintlock. She had only used her mother's old Steel Clockwork Pistol, and did not know how to use another type.

"Load it," he demanded.

She hesitated before she picked it up. She took a deep breath. There had to be a simple way to load it! She just had to figure out how… she turned it around a couple of times in her hands before she sighed furiously.

"It's on the—"

"I know!" she snapped. She finally loaded the gun and swiftly rose and aimed the gun towards Ben's head. "I don't need any help. I'm my mother's daughter. I'm a Hero."

"If you're so certain," Ben said lowly, "then pull the trigger."

Andrea gasped. She was aiming a gun at his head! And he still wanted her to shoot?

"What's the matter, Princess?" he smirked.

"It will kill you," she breathed.

"You're too scared, that's all," Ben laughed scornfully.

Andrea clenched her jaw together. Too scared? No, she was certainly not! She pulled the trigger. She shot him. Although, he still stood smiling at her. Nothing had happened!

"See?" he smiled. "I'm invincible!" Andrea dropped her jaw, and Ben shook his head. "You forgot to load the ammunition."

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again.

"That's why," Ben said and took the gun from her hand and gave her a toy gun, "we'll start with shooting peas."

"Peas?" Then she furiously threw the toy gun to the ground. "I am _not_ a child!"

"I can see that," he said ironically and raised a brow. "Pick it up, and load it. Trust me, peas can do far more damage than you think."

She muttered angrily as she picked up the gun. She grabbed the leather bag of peas he handed her and loaded the gun. Thankfully, that gun was easy to load. "What do you want me to shoot?"

He pointed towards a strangely shaped, tall stone with a hole on the top. "Aim for that hole."

Andrea nodded. She aimed the gun, closed one eye, steadied her arm, took a deep breath and fired. It missed. Miserably.

"Your aiming is a bit too high," Ben said. "You need to lower it. Both eyes open."

She aimed her gun again, but this time she kept both eyes open. She fired. Missed, again. She growled lowly as she stomped one foot on the ground. "I'm missing because you're standing there! Watching! _Judging_!"

"I'm sorry, Princess," Ben said. "Wally's orders. Stop acting like a spoiled princess, _Princess_, and start hitting the target!"

"Stop looking at me!" she shouted out in anger and turned the gun towards Ben and fired. A pea hit him in the middle of the forehead.

"Ouch!" he growled and threw his hands to his forehead. Andrea smirked. "Why did you do that for? Besides, if you wanted to _blind_ me, you _missed_!"

She squared her shoulders and threw the gun onto the ground again. "Peas are _useless_! They can't even kill a bug like _you_!" Then she spun around and started walking towards the fort again. She wasn't going to deal with this anymore. Shooting with peas? Ridiculous! "No wonder your brother died!"

"Hey!" Ben growled and grabbed her arm forcefully and spun her again. "How _dare_ you?"

Andrea gasped. The captain's blue eyes had turned frozen with fury as he looked down upon her, and his grip was actually starting to hurt. She was frightened. She could cast him off with a fireball, but she was too frightened to focus. It wasn't that very far to the fort, but no one could see them, so deep within the winding forest. She knew what she had said was wrong, but surely he understood she had only said it out of anger? "Captain Finn!" she gasped, voice trembling. "Remember your place!"

He tightened both his jaw and his grip before he finally let go and picked up the toy gun. He shoved it into Andrea's hand and took a step back, with coldness in his eyes still. "You're not leaving until you hit that target. Ten peas, one after another. If you miss one shot, you'll have to start over. Is that clear?"

"But I—"

"Is that clear?"

She swallowed. "Yes, sir." She shook as she went back to the same place she had stood before, and aimed towards the hole again. She fired, and missed. The captain said nothing but, "again", and she shot, but missed again.

"Again," he said coldly.

Andrea's whole body shook all too violently for her to be able to aim, and as the captain kept repeating "again", and she kept missing, she feared she would be stuck there the whole day. And the captain was not getting any nicer. She blinked away the tears and kept trying, and kept failing. The only thing she could hope for now was that they would soon be all out of peas.


	3. To Bowerstone

**A/N:** Here's chapter 3! Thank you all so much for all the reviews! I really appreciate it! :) Anyways, I hope you'll like this chapter! :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter**

**Chapter Three**_  
To Bowerstone_

"Good, Princess," Captain Ben Finn said. "Now you only have four more peas to hit, and then you can go back to the fort."

Andrea was tired. And hungry. She must have been standing there for four hours, or something. But she took her aim and fired. Another hit. She sighed in relief as she heard the captain laugh heartily behind her.

"You're starting to get the hang of it!" he said. "Three left."

Andrea nodded. She didn't dare to speak, afraid of what she might say to offend him again. She reloaded the gun and took her aim. At this point, she was rather certain that she would hit the target. But she didn't. She missed. It was the third time today her hopes had been smashed into pieces by her poor aiming-skills.

"Start again," Ben sighed.

Andrea sighed, devastated, and turned to him. "No more, please!"

"Again."

"But sir—"

"Start again!"

Tears were building in her eyes as she took her aim again. Her arm was aching. Her feet were aching. She wanted to break down and cry, but she couldn't. She couldn't show herself that weak to the captain. She fired, and missed. That was it. The cries choked her and she fell to her knees. "I can't do this," she sobbed. "I can't do this…"

"Sure you can," Ben said and sighed. "Get up and try again."

"I can't do this!" she squeaked and buried her face in her hands. "I'm a terrible Hero!"

Ben sighed heavily and kneeled next to her. "You're not a terrible Hero," he said. "You're just a terrible shot." He patted her awkwardly on the back and then he rose. "You've still got ten peas to hit."

"No!"

"Yes."

"_No_!" She looked up at him, her face all tear-streaked. She knew she sounded like an obstinate child, but she couldn't help it. Perhaps that was all she was?

Ben sighed. "Princess, you'll never learn to shoot if you don't practise."

"But I'm tired, and I'm hungry!" she sobbed. "I can't do this anymore!"

Ben clenched his jaw. "You're not going anywhere before you've hit the target ten times in a row. That's an order."

Andrea gasped. "How _dare_ you?" She almost shouted. "I demand you, as your Princess, to let me go!"

Ben only laughed. "You might be the Princess, but out here, I'm your superior. You do as I say."

She crossed her arms over her chest and refused to do as he said.

The captain only leaned against a tree, crossing his own arms over his chest and waited. "I can wait here all night, Princess. Sure you want to be here when the Hollow Men comes?"

That was right… Andrea hadn't given one thought to the Hollow Men. What if she really had to say there until dark? No. No, that wouldn't happen. She rose swiftly and tried to swallow her cries and dried the tears from her eyes. Then she closed her eyes and tried to convert her sadness and devastation into energy. If Captain Finn thought he could keep her there against her will, he thought wrong, and she would show him. A nice fireball would perhaps shut him up. She felt how the energy charged up inside of her, and how the magic flowed through her body and gave intense warmth to her hands. As quick as she felt the flames in her hands, she released them towards the captain.

"_Ouch_! Bloody hell!" he shouted as he fell to the ground. "What was that for?"

Andrea straightened her back and looked down on him. "That's what you get for not obeying me."

"What's _wrong_ with you?" he growled as he rose and brushed off some burning leaves from his shoulder. "It's not really the best of strategies to gather followers, you know!"

Andrea snorted and turned her back on him. "Perhaps I don't _want_ followers like you."

"Fine," Ben Finn spat. "I'll go and tell Major Swift, and you can be on your way to Bowerstone, your _Majesty_."

Andrea turned and glared at him. She didn't mean she didn't want Major Swift on her side, she just didn't want _Ben Finn_ on her side. At least not if he kept acting the way he did. She didn't care how charming he was. As a matter of fact, all of her fascination of him from the night before was long gone due to his horrible behaviour towards her this morning. "You're digging your own grave, Mr Finn. If you think your inferiority to me is insignificant, you're making a huge mistake."

"Am I?" he asked and advanced towards her.

She clenched her jaw and tightened her fists, ready to strike him if he got too close. He was bigger and taller than she'd taken notice of, but she was a Hero. He wasn't.

"When I was your age, young missy, I, too, went to explore the world," he sneered as he stopped barely five feet away from her. "I thought life was like a dance on roses. But I had neither name nor connections to build bridges over the thorns, and had to make my way through them. I learnt the hard way that_ seventeen_-year-olds aren't superior to _anyone_, no matter name or connections!"

"How do you know I'm seventeen?" she spat. "You know nothing of me."

He laughed morbidly. "Of course I know how old the bleeding _Princess_ is! You're only a child, and you think you can boss over me? Over the Royal Army? I'm sorry, Princess, but you're not the Queen of Albion just yet."

Andrea opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again as she suddenly found his intense eyes and rising rage a bit frightening. "No," she finally whispered, realising her defeat.

Ben sighed heavily and shook his head. "You're free to go. You'll never hit it ten times in a row before dark."

She looked away, ashamed. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She sighed. "I'm sorry for what I said… about your brother."

Ben raised a brow. "I am too. It was tactless and arrogant said. Wasn't very… Princess-like, if you ask me." That devilishly handsome smirk appeared on his lips again, and Andrea's heart skipped a beat. She hurried past him and nearly ran back to the fort. Once she was inside, she almost ran straight into Walter.

"Oh!" he said. "How did it go?"

Andrea looked bewildered. "It… it went well."

Walter did not buy it. "What did he do?"

Andrea shook her head. "Nothing. He did nothing."

"Andrea," he warned.

She sighed. "He didn't do anything, Walter." Then she greeted Bernard as he came to jump up with his front legs on her chest. "I've missed you, boy." Walter walked away with a scowl, and Andrea sighed deeply. She could tell Walter what Ben had done, and then Ben would be in big trouble. But what good would that do? And perhaps Ben was faster with the gun than Walter was with the sword. She didn't want to take that risk.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben muttered to himself as he headed towards the lookout tower. He had never met such a childish girl in the whole of his life. Not even when he was a child himself! And she confused him so; with the mind of a child but the body of a woman, he didn't know what to think of her. All he could think of when he saw her was her feminine way of walking, the way her hair swayed when she turned her head and the way the air changed when she walked pass him. Oh, it had been far too long since he had been with a woman. And if the Princess had been a bit more mature, he would have made a move long ago. Honourable or not, he needed a female's touch from time to time. Perhaps he'd seen something arousing in the Princess the night before, but now he only saw her as a child. An obstinate and stubborn child. How dared she talk about her brother like that? Sure, she'd apologised for it, but he couldn't care less. The damage had been done. He could only hope she would mature a bit before she took the throne.

**.:*Ö*:.**

As the day went by, and as the night came crawling, all soldiers gathered at the fort, and when the Hollow Men came, the same fight was fought as the night before, but without the undead lieutenant. A few soldiers were injured, but otherwise, no losses for the army. Andrea helped to tend to the soldiers' wounds, and when they were all tended too, she could go to sleep. She still felt bad for what she'd said to Ben, but she didn't dare to talk to him. He had scarcely looked at her at all since he had returned from the watchtower. Perhaps that was for the best, anyway. The next morning had been like the one before; Walter had had some melee training with her, and Ben Finn had had some ranged training with her, even though that particular lesson was fairly tense. She didn't hit the target ten times this time either. Ben had given up after three hours and dismissed her. She did not object. She was quite glad to be away from him. She had a peculiar respect for the man; she knew he was a good man, with good intentions. He was witty and funny, charming and handsome, but he was probably one of the worst enemies one could have. He may not have been the most frightening or intimidating of men, but he was a good soldier, a good warrior, and he never gave up. Andrea knew that it was a good thing to have him on his side, but at the same time, she didn't want anything to do with the man, since he had no idea how to behave around a noble lady. He could surely enough break the heart of a simple girl, but if he thought he could do the same thing to Andrea, he was gravely mistaken, of that she was absolutely certain.

The darkness fell quickly, and Andrea sat silently by a fire with Bernard at her feet. The army had decided to have what they called 'a dead night', which meant they would be dead silent, so the Hollow Men wouldn't attack. She had watched, with both great astonishment and entertainment, how the soldiers had played a game of cards, all in silence. The Hollow Men had been walking outside the fort, moaning and groaning as they pulled their feet forwards aimlessly. Even though Andrea knew that as long as none of them made any sound, they'd be safe, she was still afraid. Hollow Men sent shivers up her spine. Ben Finn hadn't talked to her since he had returned just before dark. She was still ashamed of what she'd said to him. It had been absolutely despicable. She felt real bad for it, but she couldn't really talk to him about it, since he didn't seem to talk to her whatsoever. She sighed as she rose as quietly as she could and tiptoed to the straw bed she had been allowed to use. She had later learnt that it was Ben's own bed she used, and that made her a bit uncomfortable, as well as embarrassed. It felt imprudent. But the bed was warm and dry, and as long as the captain didn't object, she guessed she wasn't troubling him. Strangely enough, she found it harder to fall asleep without the soldier's chatting and laughing. The Hollow Men's moaning would probably bring nightmares. But she managed to close her eyes and drift away.

"_Andrea!" _

_Andrea turns and sees Elliot come running towards her on the open, golden fields. His cheeks are red from playing outside the whole day. She smiles. _

"_Andrea, I've found Igor the Mage's secret hideout!" he cries happily. The boy's eyes are glimmering._

"_You have not!" Andrea giggles._

"_I have!" Elliot says and grabs Andrea's arm and pulls her with him. "Come, I'll show you! It's just before Millfields!"_

_Andrea gasps and stops. Her stop surprises Elliot so that he almost falls. "I can't go there! Brother will yell at me!"_

_Elliot sighs unhappily. "Oh, please? Please, Andrea? I promise you, it's the best yet! I think he'll really like it there!"_

_Andrea sighs, too. Igor the Mage is a white hare they had caught a couple of weeks earlier, pretending that it was a dangerous mage from Samarkand. She would love to see the hideout, but she knows her brother would never allow her to go there. She has told him several times that she is ten years old, and is capable of making her own decisions. He only laughs at her. But she will show him. She will. "Let's go." She hurries pass Elliot and sprints towards Millfields. Elliot runs next to her, but the longer they run, the more she starts to realise that they aren't running towards Millfields at all, but they are being chased. _

"_Hurry!" Elliot shouts, now with the voice of a grown man in fear for his life. _

"_I'm running as fast as I can!" Andrea shouts back, now her proper age, as she watches how Elliot runs further and further ahead of her. _

"_It comes for you!" he screams as he disappears in the distance._

"_Elliot, wait!" she yells, but he is gone. She falls, scrubbing her knees as she does. She feels how the panic rises inside of her, and she turns her head to face her hunter, but she sees nothing. Yet she feels how the stabbing fear nearly kills her, and she shrieks as she rises and starts to run again. But when she moves her legs, it feels as if she runs through jelly. Her heart is beating fast, and she want to scream, but there's no sound escaping from her mouth. She reaches out after Ben's hand. "Ben!"_

"_I'm here, Princess!" he answers and reaches out for her hand, but pulls further and further away from her, into the darkness of a deep forest. She is all alone. She feels how her hunter is coming closer, and closer, and closer, and…_

She woke up with a violent judder. She was breathing heavily, her heard was racing and cold sweat was covering her body. She had never had a more terrifying nightmare in her whole life. She wiped the sweat off her forehead as she tried to calm herself.

_It was just a dream_, she thought to herself. _Just a dream_. She looked around. The fires were out, and the soldiers were sleeping. Bernard was not sleeping at her feet, as he used to, but slept next to Walter. The Hollow Men were still outside, though, moaning and groaning. She swallowed. She was incredibly glad that Hollow Men weren't very intelligent. But she suddenly heard something that made her blood freeze. Had the Hollow Men made it inside the gates? She silently reached for her sword. She grabbed it and rose, as silently as she could. Then she snuck to peek behind the corner. No one there. She continued. It sounded like lazy, dragging steps, on her side of the wall. She walked slowly, letting every pebble under her boot adjust before she put her whole weight on it. Her heart was still racing, if not even more now. She was just about to peek behind another corner when she heard a deep groaning, and she pressed herself to the wall, praying to both Avo and Skorm, hoping at least one of them would answer her, that the undead wouldn't notice her. But suddenly, a rough hand covered her mouth and pulled her back. She was in shock and didn't know what to do, but the stranger removed its hand when the Hollow Man was out of sight. Andrea turned, ready to yell at someone, but then she saw that it was Ben. "Oh…"

He hushed her. "Not. A. Word." Even though his voice had been as soundless as possible, they still rang clear in her ears. She had almost given them all away by yelling, or by striking down that single Hollow Man with her sword. It was better to let it roam around until it turned to dust in the sunlight. She was about to turn again, but then she heard how the dragging footsteps came closer again, and she froze, her nose almost touching Captain Finn's chest. He smelled of musk, sweat, blood, forest and smoke. But most of all, he smelled like… well, like a man. She felt the steady breaths of the captain, as well as a securing hand on her arm. She saw how his other hand rested on the grip stock of his flintlock, ready to shoot if necessary. She heard how the Hollow Man came closer and closer, until she could feel its breath on her neck. She gasped silently and pressed herself closer to Ben, slowly. She saw how his hand on the gun tightened, but then relaxed again when the Hollow Man turned and walked away. They stood still for another long ten minutes before he slowly pulled her away and looked at her.

"Are you insane?" he hissed silently.

Andrea didn't know what to say.

"One tiny little sound from you, and we could have been stormed!" he whispered.

"I'm sorry," she whispered back breathlessly. She knew he was right, and she was ashamed, again.

He clenched his jaw and looked out over her shoulder. Then he sighed. "It's clear. Go back to bed."

She shook her head. "I couldn't sleep," she whispered. "Nightmares."

He nodded. "Right." Then he sighed. "Go back to the rest of the men. Quietly."

She nodded and turned to walk back to the bed, as silently as she could.

"Princess," he suddenly said, and she turned. "Be careful."

She smiled weakly before she turned back and headed towards the others. She hurried her steps a bit, trying to avoid the noisy parts. Then she went back to bed. But she still felt the steady breaths of the captain and his strong, secure hand on her arm. She was almost certain he had stared the Hollow Man right in the eyes, daring it to do anything. Captain Finn was fearless. Her cheeks reddened at the thought of it. And the next dream she had was certainly not of a chasing, but of a charming captain.

When the morning light finally appeared and the soldiers woke up, Andrea rose and looked around to see if she saw Ben anywhere. He was sitting with some other soldiers, playing a game of cards. She sighed heavily and looked away. She still couldn't let her immature behaviour the other day slide.

"Oh, Andrea!" Walter suddenly burst out and made her jump. "You're finally up! We're leaving."

"What?" she said. "Now?"

"Yes," Walter said. "I believe you're well rested, and I've talked to Swift here, and he says we have the whole Royal Army on our side!"

"We want this change, just as much as you do," Major Swift smiled. "Captain Finn will – Ben, come over here! – Captain Finn will join you in Bowerstone in a day or two."

Ben joined Swift, and nodded. "Absolutely," he smiled. "There's nothing like stretching one's legs! And to get away from this dead, moulded, swamp-stench…"

Major Swift chuckled. "Well Ben, it doesn't exactly smell like a woman's perfume out here."

"No, definitely not." Ben wrinkled his nose a bit, and Andrea hid a giggle.

"Very well," Walter said. "We should be on our way. Page is waiting for us in Bowerstone Industrial."

"Who's Page?" Andrea asked.

"She's the leader of the resistance."

"A female leader?" Ben asked, sounding a bit impressed.

"Oh, yes," Walter said. "And let me tell you, I do not want to get into a fight with _her_."

Ben nodded with a most vexing smirk. "Impressive."

Andrea narrowed her eyes. So, a female ringleader impressed the roguish captain, but not a female Hero?

"Anyways," Walter said and looked at Andrea. "We'd better be on our way."

Andrea nodded, and then they said goodbye to the soldiers and headed outside the fort.

"Princess, wait!" Ben suddenly called and caught up with them.

"What?" she asked and looked up at him. He wore that vexingly charming smirk. Then he held out his hand to drop something in hers. She held hers out to catch whatever he was to give her.

He put his hand down on hers, and she felt something small, metallic his her palm. "You need this more than I." Then he winked at her and turned and walked back to the fort.

Andrea looked down in her hand; her mother's ring lay there. He'd given it back. She looked up, hoping he would still be there, so she could thank him with all of her heart, but he was already inside the fort. She nodded, mostly to herself, and put the ring on her middle finger, and hurried up to Walter. The forest looked so bright, so beautiful in the sunlight. Bernard ran ahead, sniffing out a bunny, or perhaps another rodent. Andrea looked over her shoulder. In a way, she was happy to leave the fort and the forest behind and head for the city in which she was born, but in the same time, she knew she would miss the laughing soldiers and their mad humour.

As they walked thought the forest of Mourningwood, Andrea tried to remember all the turns and all the exits, so she was certain she would find her way back to the fort if she ever had to come back. They reached the Mourningwood society, and walked into the sewers to enter Bowerstone Industrial. Andrea resented the terrible smell and wrinkled her nose. This was definitely not a place for a Princess. But she endured it and when the light once again hit her eyes, she was back home. Back in Bowerstone. A big smile spread across her lips as she saw the people, the hustle and bustle. Although, as she saw all of the neglected and poor people, she felt a sudden ache in her stomach. That was her brother's doing. And that was why it was so important for her to overthrow him.

"The Headquarters are this way," Walter said, and Andrea followed.

She tried to hide her face a bit when she walked pass people, so they wouldn't recognise her. However, if they wouldn't recognise her, they would definitely recognise Walter Beck. But then they suddenly heard a mass of upset voices.

"I wonder what's going on up there," Walter said. "Let's go and see, shall we?"

Andrea nodded and followed Walter to a mass of people.

One man was standing on a podium, speaking to the people; "Reaver is exploiting us! We deserve fair pay! We demand better working conditions! We're workers, we're not slaves!" As the man stood talking, a tall, proud man, dressed in a smart suit with a long, white coat, and a high hat, came out on a balcony and tapped the railing with a cane. But the man on the podium did not hear. "Reaver treats us like animals. We're not gonna take it anymore!" Another tap. "There's only one thing for it; we have to stand up to Reaver!" But just as the man uttered the words, the man on the balcony shot the man on the podium, right in the leg.

"But lying down is so much easier than standing up!" the man on the balcony said. "My dear friends; in order to raise morale, I'm offering prizes to the most deserving workers. The rules that will govern what I like to call the Reaver Team Spirit Award are these; firstly, any worker that so much as murmurs another complaint will be shot." He fired a bullet towards the man again. "Secondly, any worker who takes more than a three-second-break will be shot." Another bullet towards the downed man. "Thirdly, any worker who breaks any other rules I have yet to formulate will… yes, you guessed it, be shot." A fourth bullet towards the man on the podium. "You may return to work now. As you know, I'm a generous man, and likely to start handing out prizes right away! So, go on! Shoo! Be off with you! Chop-chop!" The people hurried away, and the shot man lay groaning on the podium. Andrea stared at the man with her heart in her throat.

Walter pulled her with him. "That's why we're here. That's why Albion needs you. Your brother must have been out of his mind when he handed control of Industrial to Reaver. We should go on. It's time you met the Bowerstone Resistance."

Andrea nodded, still horrified of what she'd seen. "So, that was Reaver?"

"The very same," Walter muttered. "A cold and arrogant bastard."

"My mother spoke of him," Andrea murmured. "She told me he'd helped her…"

"Reaver is on the side of whoever's winning," Walter said. "That's who he is."

"But he looked so young… he can't have been the same age when my mother met him?"

"He's a strange man," Walter said. "He doesn't age."

"That's impossible," Andrea said.

"No, it isn't," Walter said. "He has been the same age for as long as I can remember."

Andrea shook her head. Yes, Reaver was a strange and cold man, indeed. They reached the Headquarters and stepped inside. The underground space was silent. Andrea swallowed hard.

"I love how much time we're spending in caves and sewers these days," Walter said ironically. "No, really. I should warn you; I don't know what kind of reception well get. I know their leader well enough, but it was never safe enough for me to come down to meet the rest of them, and they're not exactly the most trusting of people."

"Walter, this doesn't feel good…"

"No," Walter said and looked suspiciously around. He grabbed a torch from the wall and held it in front of him as they walked further into the underground maze. "Hello? Hello? Maybe we've got the wrong place… let's, you know… get out?"

"Don't move!" Both Andrea and Walter jumped when a man loaded his gun and aimed towards them. Andrea pulled her sword, ready to strike. But more men were coming forth, loading their guns. Walter put a hand on her shoulder.

"We won't move if you don't shoot. Deal?" Walter asked.

"You better tell your friend that!" one of the men said.

"It's alright!" Walter said to Andrea. "Just do as he says."

Andrea dropped her sword to her side.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the man demanded.

"I'm Walter, and this is… well, that really doesn't matter right now. We're here to speak with Page!"

"I say we shoot them," another man said.

"Listen!" Walter said. "We're on your side! Just hear us out!"

"We don't make deals with spies," the first man said. "Shoot!"

"Wait!"

"Put your weapons down!" a female voice demanded, and a dark woman came into the torchlight. "I thought I gave the orders around here, Kidd."

"Sorry, Page. Got a bit carried away."

"Walter," Page said. "Glad you're alright."

"And I'm glad you came in when you did," Walter chuckled nervously.

"I wasn't exactly expecting you," Page smiled. "Let's talk somewhere more private." Then she walked further into the maze, and Andrea and Walter followed.

Andrea was a bit sceptical to this whole thing; the over-aggressive men, the secretive woman… the dungeons… this was not really her cup of tea.

"I had this whole plan, you see," Walter said to Page. "But I—well, we ended up leaving the castle earlier than I'd thought."

"I heard," Page said. "Pity. Your messages were always useful."

"I can offer you something better," Walter said as they entered a lit room. They came to a halt by a big map table. "Page, I'd like you to meet—"

"I know who she is," Page muttered and looked at Andrea. "I thought you'd know better than to bring the Princess here?"

"She's not just the Princess," Walter said. "She's a Hero."

"Great," Page said ironically, and Andrea narrowed her eyes. "Give her a medal!"

"No, I mean, she's a _Hero_," Walter explained. "Like her mother."

"Really?" Page asked and turned to Andrea. "It doesn't change anything. Your brother is the reason we live underground! He's the reason we fight!" Then she turned to Walter again, and Andrea gasped by this insult. "How do we know she's any better?"

"Let her prove it," Walter said.

"It's not just me she needs to convince," Page said. "The people of this city need someone they can believe in!" Then she turned to Andrea again. "Prove to them that they should follow you, and then we'll talk. For now, I have work to do." Then she left the room, and Andrea was still gasping. When Page was gone, Andrea turned to Walter.

"Did you just hear what she said?" Andrea hissed.

"I did," Walter sighed. "Andrea, don't take it personally. Page hasn't had the best experiences with royalties."

"I don't care!" Andrea spat. "How dare she speak to me in that manner?"

"Don't worry," Walter said. "Gain the trust of the people, and you'll gain the trust of Page."

"What if I don't want it?" Andrea muttered.

"Say what you want, but we can't do this without them," Walter said. "Now, I advise you to start gather followers up above."

Andrea sighed and walked out of the map room, and back towards the exit. She avoided the narrowed looks from the other men, as she hurried through the underground maze. She reached the exit and hurried outside. Bernard lay on the ground, waiting, and rose when she came out. He wiggled his tail and looked up at her.

"We've got a lot to do, boy," Andrea sighed. Then they walked together towards the heart of Bowerstone.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben sat by the fire, just mixing a deck of cards. The only conversation since the Princess had left was her pretty face and her sensual chest, a topic Ben would rather stay away from. He had enjoyed eyeing the Princess from now and then, but he always had to remind himself that she was the Princess, and that Ben was unworthy of even looking at such a woman. Then again, her behaviour hadn't been very… Princess-like. Or perhaps that was exactly what it had been? What did he know of royalties? That they were spoiled? Well, at least that fitted to the Princess. But last night still lingered in his mind, to have her that close, to have the smell of her auburn hair going straight up his nose, to have her body that close to his… even though the Hollow Man had been there, it had aroused him, having her that close. Then again, perhaps it was just his thirst for women that did it. Perhaps it was just the absence of women that made him so attracted to the Princess. Sure, she was pretty enough, but her behaviour was as far away from his ideal type as it could possibly be. Besides, she was far too young. No, at this very moment, he was actually more interested in this Page… a strong and confident woman of the people? Now, that was his cup of tea!


	4. The Lost Princess

**A/N:** I am so sorry for the wait! I have had ten thousand things to do in school, and I've still got ten thousand things more to do before I graduate this June!  
Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, and the next one will hopefully come faster than this did!

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter**

**Chapter Four**_  
The Lost Princess_

Bowerstone Market was just as busy as it always had been. People were walking everywhere, carrying crates of wine, or carrying boxes of fresh meat. Children ran back and forth, laughing and shouting. Street dogs nicked whatever food they could get, as did the beggars. She heard a bard play his lute somewhere, and another played a flute. Some children even danced to the music. She had always liked the busy spirit of the big city, but she had never been allowed out on the streets of Bowerstone Market, since her brother always feared she'd get lost or kidnapped. But she had always snuck into the Market with Elliot to play with all the other children. She looked at the big buildings and felt how a smile spread across her lips. She was home. Even Bernard seemed happy to be back on familiar grounds. But just as she rounded a corner, she noticed a flyer on a wall, with her face on it.

'_Princess Andrea of Albion kidnapped! Ten thousand gold coins as a reward to the one who finds her and brings her to the castle alive!_'

She gasped loudly and looked around. More flyers caught her eyes, and they were all saying the same thing. She even noticed one with Walter's face, saying; '_WANTED! Walter Beck, a Coward and Traitor. For the Horrendous Crime of HIGH TREASON_'. She saw Page on one poster, where it said 'lunatic' and 'whose crimes include murder and high treason'. They were all wanted for treason. Andrea swayed on her feet, almost fainting. She had to fold and support herself on her knees. She prayed no one would have seen and recognised her, because if they had, no one would turn down ten thousand gold coins. She looked around again. A beggar was sleeping against a wall only a few feet away from her. He was wearing a hat. Andrea dug in her pouch to pick up a gold coin. Surely the beggar would give her his hat if he received a gold coin! She hurried up to the beggar and nudged him on the shoulder. He gave a loud snore. "Sir?"

Another snore.

Andrea nudged him again. "Sir!"

The man woke up and gasped. "I'll move, I promise!"

"No, no!" Andrea hurried to say, and the beggar looked wearily at her. "Sir, can I have your hat for a gold coin?"

The man looked at the coin in her hand and gasped. "Oh, dear Avo…" Then he looked up at her. "You just want my hat?"

"Yes sir," Andrea said and managed a smile, glad he didn't recognise her and know he'd get ten thousand times more money if he took her to the castle.

"Done!" the beggar said happily and gave her his hat and snatched the gold coin from her hand and stood up. "This will feed me for a week!" Then he hurried away to the food stands.

Andrea fiddled with a piece of string on the hat and bounded her hair with it. Then she placed the hat on her head, and hoped it would be enough. No one could at least look at her clothes and think she was royalty. It was with the highest of caution she walked out on the streets again. How was she going to get the people to help her when they'd get rich if they took her back to the castle? No, she couldn't trust anyone. But she kept a good face anyway. No point in looking suspicious. She looked at some food stands, and as she heard her belly rumble, she decided to buy a lovely meat pie. She could afford it. As she ate her pie she continued to study the people walking around her. She walked as she ate, and headed towards Bowerstone Old Quarters. She had always liked that part of town, because it carried so much history. Besides, she had always liked the docks. But as she walked pass a house, she heard upset voices from inside it.

"_No, Danny!_" a woman cried. "_Don'! Please, don'!_"

"_I have to, Tara!_" a man said. "_Our King demands it! A revolution is about to begin!_"

"_Ye can' possibly say tha' you'll fight _for _the King?_" the woman, Tara, growled. "_He's the reason our children have to work to support us! Ye want me to work on the streets! And now ye'll leave us to join the _Guard_?_"

Andrea ordered Bernard to lie down and be quiet as she moved closer to hear a bit better.

"_Our precious King has done more damage to this country than a revolution would!_"

"_How dare you talk about our King like that?_" the man, Danny, shouted, and then Andrea could hear a slap, and someone falling to the floor. "_Learn your place, whore!_"

"_If ye go now_," Tara cried furiously, "_ye can never return, an' ye can take that bleedin' weddin' ring an' _shove it_! I know I will!_"

Andrea heard how heavy footsteps came closer to the door, and she quickly turned her back against it and crouched a bit, and ate some of her pie. She heard the door open and slam, and then she saw how a man walked past her and headed towards the Market. Andrea ate the last of the pie in one bite, and then she hurried inside the house. The woman, Tara, sat on the floor, crying. When she heard Andrea come in, she looked up.

"Who are ye?" she shouted and rose.

"Don't worry!" Andrea hurried to say and held her palms up. "I mean you no harm! I head you arguing with your husband. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

Tara sighed deeply and brushed herself off. "Then ye also heard he ain't my husband anymore."

Andrea sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don' be," Tara said and looked herself in a looking-glass next to a painting. "He's a bastard anyways."

"I couldn't help but to hear something about a revolution," Andrea said and bit her lip.

"Aye," Tara said and looked at Andrea. "Everyone's talkin' about it. And Avo, how we want a revolution!"

Andrea smiled weakly. "I hear you're not a follower of King Logan."

"Tha' prick?" Tara asked. "Never. He's the reason me children are the property of Reaver. He's the reason I have to work on the streets of Industrial to earn any money."

Andrea nodded. "I'm not a fan of him, either."

"No?" Tara asked. Then she looked around and took a step closer to Andrea. She lowered her voice and said, "words have it, tha' Major Swift and Captain Ben Finn have also joined the Resistance."

"How do you know that?" Andrea gasped.

Tara laughed. "News travel fast around here, love."

Andrea nodded. "But—but—"

"Kidd told me."

Andrea gasped again. So this woman was involved with the Resistance?

Tara obviously noticed Andrea's shock and grabbed a kitchen knife from one of the counters and put it in front of Andrea's face. "If ye tell anyone about this, I'll kill ye!"

"No!" Andrea breathed. "I won't! I promise! I'm in the Resistance, too!"

Tara raised a brow and lowered the knife. "Really?"

Andrea nodded. "To be honest, I just arrived from the Mourningwood Fort. I had no idea the news would travel so fast!"

Tara nodded. "Welcome then, rebel." She reached out her hand, and Andrea took it. They shook hands like two proud women, and then Tara shook her head. "I don' know what to do. I can' afford to keep the house, me children are gone, me husband are gone… what do I do?"

Andrea swallowed. She had no idea. Then an idea popped into her head. "I know… let's help each other!"

"How?"

"I need the trust of the people of Bowerstone, and if you help me gain it, I promise you'll get your children back, keep your house and get a proper job," Andrea said.

Tara narrowed her eyes. "How are ye supposed to fix all tha'? Who are ye?"

Andrea sighed and looked around. The door stood open. She closed it, and then she looked at Tara. "I am your only hope." Then she took the hat off and let her hair down, so she would look just like she did on the posters.

Tara gasped. "Ye—ye're the—the Princess!"

Andrea nodded. "I am. I wasn't kidnapped, I ran. I ran together with Sir Walter Beck, to gather followers to overthrow my brother from the throne."

Tara fell to her knees, and Andrea rolled her eyes. "I am yer humble servant, ye Majesty!"

"Please," Andrea sighed. "Don't… I only need your help. I need the trust of the people. Could you help me?"

Tara rose as she nodded rapidly. "I can! Just tell me what to do, an' I'll do it!"

"I need you to spread the word to the people you know are against Logan," Andrea said. "I need the Resistance on my side, and Page won't join me until I convince this city I am a better leader than my brother."

"For one, ye're a woman," Tara said. "Tha' is good enough for me."

"I thank you, but it may not be good enough for everybody."

"I'll speak to the people, don' ye worry," Tara said. "I'll fix up a secret meeting tomorrow night, when ye can convince them yeself."

"Thank you!" Andrea gasped. "Really, thank you."

"No problem," Tara said. "Ye need a place to stay?"

"I—" Andrea stopped herself. She was in need of a safe place to stay, but couldn't fully trust this woman yet. There was no way Andrea could now for sure that Tara wouldn't call for the guards when she was asleep. "I already have a place to stay, thank you."

"Very well," Tara said and shrugged. "You know where to come otherwise."

Andrea nodded. "Thank you."

Tara waved her hand. "It's an honour to help ye, Princess. Now, ye take care of yerself, alright? You have a hefty prize on yer head."

"I know," Andrea said.

"Now, go," Tara said. "Have a bit fun."

Andrea smiled and nodded. Then she put her hair up again and put the hat on. "Thank you again," she said. "For everything."

Tara nodded, and then Andrea left the house, and went back to the Market, followed by her furry friend. She had a whole day ahead of her, and she had no idea what to do. With the hat on, she felt relatively safe, but she knew that she had to be careful. She even thought about buying new clothes, just in case Tara would betray her. She bought herself a new blouse and a new corset. And after paying another gold coin, she was allowed to change in a separate room. When she went out on the streets again, she felt a bit safer. As she strolled through town, visiting shops and stalls and talking to people, she felt relaxed, and could take her mind off her serious quest. The dark fell, and she was sitting by the docks, looking out over the endless sea, dreaming of one day visiting the countries on the other side. She counted the stars, and made up stories about them, just as she used to do when she was a child. But as the minutes crawled to hours, she felt how her eyes began to close. She shook her head to wake up, but they closed again. That was when she realised she would have to find a place to sleep for the night. The tavern would be all too risky. She knew that. To go back to Tara would be a risky move, too. And she didn't know if she had the courage to go back to the Headquarters after Page's harsh verdict. She rose from the docks and decided to make her way to Industrial. Perhaps she could find an abandoned house she could sleep in. She hummed softly as she made her way towards Industrial. As she gazed upon the castle, Logan popped into her mind. She didn't hate her brother. She couldn't. He had raised her. Guilt shot through her; he had raised her, and this was how she thanked him. By turning against him. But he had brought it upon himself. He had abused his power as King, and the people wouldn't stand with it for too long.

She entered Industrial with a big yawn. She had to find somewhere to sleep. She found an empty gypsy caravan, and decided to sleep in it. She didn't know if it belonged to anyone, but if it did, the owner would probably wake her up and chase her away, and she could deal with that problem as it arose. If it ever arose. She was so tired, she fell asleep just as she had laid down in a comfortable position, with Bernard lying safely by her side.

_Logan caresses her cheek softly. "Don't cry, sweetheart," he whispers. "Mother wouldn't want you to cry."_

"_Mother will never return," Andrea sobs. _

_Logan sighs. "No." Then he smiles and picks up the small child in his arms and carries her out to the gardens to see the sunset. Andrea puts her small arms around her big brother's neck and rests her small head on his shoulder. The child Andrea sighs heavily._

"_Why did you kill those people, big brother?" she asks. _

_Logan puts her down forcefully and barks at her, "you insolent child! I am the only family you've got! I've given you everything! Everything! And this is how you repay me? By turning your back on your own blood? I should have known you were the spawn of Skorm himself." _

_Andrea, no longer a child, growls and feels how the magic inside of her are charging up. She reaches out to strike her brother down with a mighty spell but is faced by the blue eyes of Captain Finn. She lowers her hands again, disappointed._

_He smiles inappropriately. "I like your fierceness, Princess, but are you ready to use that in battle?" He pulls his flintlock and aims it towards her head. She breathes heavily. She knows he's a good shooter. The best there is. But she doesn't trust him. Those blue eyes could be deceiving. He moves the aim from her head to her chest. With another crooked smile, he fires. The bullet penetrates her heart, but it doesn't hurt. She doesn't fall down dead. She looks at him. _

"_Why did you do that?" she asks and tips her head to the side. _

"_You know why," he says. "And we should get moving. It will be here any moment now." _

"_What will be here?"_

"_It." _

_Andrea nods, and joins Ben as he runs away from the gardens. Once again, she's chased. Her heart speeds up as she feels how her hunter is closing in on her. Ben grabs her hand. _

"_This is it, Princess," he says. "The ledge. Are you ready to jump?"_

_Andrea stops just as she reaches the ledge to a dark abyss. Is she ready to take a leap into the unknown? The hunter in coming closer. Ben Finn is smirking as he steps over the edge and falls into the abyss. "Ben! Ben, no!" she screams after him. She rapidly moves her hand to her chest where Ben shot her. It is bleeding. It hurts. She is torn between drowning in the darkness behind her and being swallowed by the darkness ahead of her. She is now all alone, and the dark is about to gulp her. A penetrating laugh is heard through the hunting darkness as she puts one foot over the edge._

Andrea opened her eyes wide. Sunlight was peering in through the wooden boards keeping the caravan together. She sighed and stretched, and Bernard rose. Her body was stiff after the sleep. The hat had fallen off her head in her sleep, and she quickly put it on again, hoping no one had seen her. She yawned and left the caravan. It was a cloudy day, grey and somewhat peculiar. She looked around. The people seemed even greyer. She sighed heavily as she headed towards Bowerstone Market. It would start to rain any minute now. She knew that. But she had to find Tara. Perhaps the Market would be filled with guards searching for Andrea, but so far, no one had been seen. She continued walking, and avoided the eyes of the people she met. Bernard walked beside her, quietly. She entered the Market, bought herself something to eat, and then she headed towards Tara's house to see if she was at home. She was not. Andrea sighed and headed back to the Market. But just as she had reached The Cock in the Crown, she saw Tara heading up towards the castle. She was disguised, and Andrea gasped. She had to follow! What if Tara was about to do something incredibly stupid? What if she was going to give Andrea away? No, she had to follow to see what would happen next. She followed Tara all the way to the Castle Gardens. Andrea suddenly felt incredibly homesick. To be in the gardens she used to run around in as a child, and stroll around in just a couple of weeks earlier, made her heart ache. But she had a mission to accomplish. She looked around, but Tara was gone. Andrea hurried further into the gardens to see if she could find Tara, but just as she rounded a great hedge, she bumped into someone and fell to the ground.

"Oh, do forgive me, miss!"

The voice brought chills along Andrea's spine as she realised it was her own brother she had run into. As he bent down to help her up, she crawled away from him, afraid that he might recognise her.

"Miss?" he asked troubled. "Miss, are you alright?"

"Yes, yes," she hurried to say.

"Have you gone astray?" He sounded suspicious, and Andrea breathed heavily.

Luckily, her hat covered most of her face. "No, sir—yes, sir. I'll be on my way, sir!"

"Here," Logan said and reached for her hand. "Let me at least help you up."

Andrea hesitated before she let him help her up. She kept her head down, hoping it would seem more as a sign of submission to the King rather than a desperate try to deceive him. "I thank you, sire. I beg your pardon, and will now take my leave." She bowed deeply and turned around to hurry away.

"Wait," Logan demanded, and Andrea had to stop. "Come back here."

Andrea's heart stopped as she slowly turned back towards her brother. She didn't dare to look up.

"Do I know you?"

Andrea shook her head rapidly. "No, your Majesty! I am but a humble beggar."

"Your hands are too soft and fine to be a beggar," Logan said amused.

Andrea felt how the panic was rising inside of her.

"Take off your hat," Logan suddenly demanded.

"Sire, I—"

"Take off your hat."

Andrea swallowed. What should she do? If she took her hat off, Logan would recognise her immediately and take her back to the castle, whether she wanted it or not, and if she didn't take her hat off and ran, he would call for the guards. This was indeed a most unlucky situation for her.

Logan sighed heavily. "Andrea, I know it's you," he whispered

Andrea gasped and looked up. Her eyes met his, and she took a step back.

"So, the lost Princess has returned," he said dryly.

Andrea shook her head as she took another step back. "I was never lost, Logan."

"Look at you," he continued. "Dressed in beggar's clothes." He looked around. "Hurry back inside and get dressed before anyone sees you like this. And for Avo's sake, wash yourself. You look downright wild, girl!"

Andrea shook her head. "No! I will not go back!" She took another step back, and planned her escape route. "You can't make me!"

Logan looked offended. "I am you brother," he said. "I am the King! You do as I say!"

"No," Andrea growled and launched away from him, towards the Market.

"_Guards_!" Logan bellowed, and pointed towards Andrea. "Seize her!"

Andrea ran with all her might. Her heart was pounding loudly, and her hair was flying like a coppery veil after her as she darted past people and stalls, followed by the guards. Bernard was ahead of her, turning his head now and then to make sure Andrea was coming. Lucky for her, she was fast. She had just rounded a corner into an ally and stopped to breathe for a while when she heard someone shout; "she ran that way!" She heard how the soldiers ran further and further away from her. She peered out behind the corner to see whether or not the guards had followed her, and when she saw they weren't there, she sighed heavily in relief. Then suddenly someone tugged at her shirt and pulled her further into the ally.

"Ye're bleedin' insane, ye are!" Tara growled as she dragged Andrea further.

"What where you doing on the Castle Grounds?" Andrea asked.

"Ye'll see," Tara said. Then she pushed Andrea into a house. "But for now, ye'll have to stay in 'ere!"

"Why?"

"Because the guards will be lookin' for ye, of course!" Tara growled. "Why on earth did ye go an' do such a stupid thing as to go to King Logan of all people?"

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Andrea barked. "I was following you, but then you disappeared! I was trying to find you, and then I ran straight into him! How could I have known he was strolling around in the gardens? He barely even knows there _is_ a garden outside the castle!"

"Ye astonish me," Tara said and shook her head. "Ye could 'ave been caught."

"I know that," Andrea mumbled.

Tara sighed and put her hands on her hips. "I've gathered to a meetin' tonight in Michael the Trader's cellar. There should be at least thirty villagers there. Tha's yer chance."

"Will you help me?" Andrea looked at the woman with pleading eyes.

"Aye," Tara sighed. "I want this change just as much as any. It shouldn' be a problem to get 'em over to yer side."

"Thank you," Andrea said.

Tara nodded and left the house without another word and left the house and closed the door behind her. She didn't lock the door, and that relieved Andrea. However, she didn't leave the house for the rest of the day, afraid that the guards would be searching through the town thoroughly. She had a hideout in the house, but it never got to that point that she had to hide. The guards never searched through this house. Tara came by with food and water, and told her what the situation was. The guards had filled the streets, and the people were afraid.

"I'm so sorry," Andrea whispered. "I didn't know…"

"Well," Tara muttered. "There's nothin' we can do now, is there? But people won' be pleased."

Andrea sighed heavily. If she didn't earn the trust of the people, she wouldn't get the trust of Page and the resistance. And without the resistance, she might as well just return to the hands of Logan and let him punish her as he saw fit. She would probably be sent away, forever.

"Don' worry," Tara said. "It will be fine. Just think about wha' to say, and ye'll get it right."

Andrea nodded, and Tara left again. Andrea took her advice and thought wisely of that to say to the people to inspire them to follow her. It was a difficult task, and she was not the best of speakers. She knew she had to be if she was going to become the Queen, but she didn't like to speak in front of many people.

As the hours crawled by like years, the darkness finally fell. Andrea had paced the room many times when Tara finally came to take her to the Trader's cellar. They had to disguise her as a man before they could enter the streets. Tara was right; the streets were filled with Logan's guards. Andrea kept her head down. She was feeling more confident now, but she still was afraid to look at anyone. She may not have on a corset to flatter her female shapes, but she still had a feminine face, and as Logan had said; her hands were too fine and soft to be the hands of neither a beggar nor a man. Her whole complexion was too fair, too well taken care of to be a man. But as she held her head down, no one would see her face. They entered the cellar after making sure no guard was watching. It was a huge cellar, stretching as far as three houses wide and two houses long. As they entered the big room, they were faced by a chattering that made Andrea's blood freeze.

"Those Sparrow-children haven't done anything right!" one man said. "The girl is a spoiled brat, and the King has brought nothing good to the Kingdom!"

"Logan is a phony King, indeed!" another man said.

"Aye!" a woman shouted. "He should be hung!"

"In his balls!" another woman laughed, and the room was filled with malicious laughter.

Andrea breathed heavily. These people obviously didn't think highly of the Royal Family, so why would they choose to follow her?

In all the laughter, Tara jumped upon a table and barked at the others to be silent. They all went quiet and looked at her. "I know things aren't lookin' up for us now," she said. "An' with Logan's guards infecting our city, it will get harder for us to meet like this." Agreeing muttered came from the crowd of people. "But I have somethin' tha' changes the odds." The people looked at each other and then at Tara. She looked at Andrea. "Come up, 'ere."

Andrea hesitated before she joined Tara on the table. Tara stepped down and left Andrea to her speech. "I—I come to seek—no… I come to…"

"Speak up, lad!" a man shouted. "We can barely hear what you say!"

Andrea looked up. That was right; she was dressed like a man. She sighed and took off her hat. She let the auburn curls fall over her shoulders, and several in the crowd gasped, followed by a tense silence. She looked around, nervous of what the people might say. Some seemed ashamed of what they had laughed about earlier, but some seemed angry by this. She took a deep breath. "I come to inquire for you help. I wasn't kidnapped. I was never lost. I ran. I escaped the tyranny that is my brother, and now I need your help to overthrow him and claim the throne."

"Why should we help you?" a man barked. Others followed his example.

"How can we know you're not like him?" a woman shouted. "Perhaps we will just replace one tyrant with another?"

"No, please!" Andrea gasped. "I swear, that when I wear the crown, I shall heal this country and its people!"

"She's just babbling!" another one shouted.

"Oi, shut up, you royal whore!" a man barked.

"I beg your pardon?" Andrea gasped.

"Don't bother," another man said to the barking one. "She's her father's daughter. It was King Rupert that ruined Queen Sparrow, we all know that!"

"Aye!" the man said. "Bad blood is bad blood!"

"Unless it's Hero-blood."

Andrea gasped and looked out over the crowd. The blonde captain stood in the back, leaning towards the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and that vexing smirk playing upon his lips, looking at her.

The crowd turned to look at him, too. "Captain Finn!" some of them said astonished.

Ben made his way towards the table where Andrea stood, but jumped upon another table. "Ladies and gentlemen of Bowerstone, yes, it is I – Ben Finn, the devilishly handsome captain, back again from his dangerous quest in the Mourningwood Fort!" He smiled widely as he addressed the people with such passion and attractiveness, it vexed Andrea out of her wits. He had caught the attention of the people already in his first words, and Andrea had stumbled upon hers. "So, this is the notorious Bowerstone Resistance? Well, at least some of it. I'm impressed. You've all… done so much. Accomplished so much! What a difference you've all made!"

Andrea knitted her eyebrows. She had no idea of what he was talking about. The others seemed just as confused as she was.

Ben's smile faded as he glared at the people. "Look at you all. What have_ you_ done? I mean, besides muttering to each other about how much you hate the King? Oh, and set one or two buildings on fire? What have you done to urge this revolution forwards? Nothing, as far as I know. You're starting an underground-war in Industrial, but guess what? That is not enough. You're not fighting the crown, you're only fighting yourselves. You're so afraid of losing the safety of your every day-life that you're all just hovering about the real issue without doing anything!" Then he chuckled. "Don't worry. I've heard of Page and her men. The true revolutionists. They've killed guards and burned down buildings. Their voices have been the voices of the revolution. But nothing has really _happened_."

Andrea was astonished to see that even though Ben Finn was offending them gravely, they listened to him, truly listened to him.

"This girl – even though she happens to be a spoiled little Princess – has actually done things that matters." He pointed towards Andrea. "She has been to the cold mountains of Mistpeak and spoken to Sabine, the leader of the gypsies. She has fought the notorious Captain Saker and managed to talk him over to her side, so now she has the support of the Mistpeak people as well as the mercenaries. She has the support of Brightwall, and has been able to enter the Reliquary and come out of it alive. And we all know what that means – it means that Princess Andrea of Albion, is a Hero."

People whispered wildly to each other, and Andrea felt nervous.

"I, myself, have witnessed her great powers as she struck down a mighty Hollow Man with magic," Ben continued. "I have been all over the world, ladies and gentlemen. Seen all sorts of things. This is the first time I've seen a people's revolution without people. Think of what you could do! Take your children from that filthy factory and form a school of your own! If Logan doesn't like it, you will just have to form another one. Create your own laws! Have the courage to actually stand up against King Logan, instead of just saying how much you hate him! I have been stationed at the Mourningwood Fort for six months, killing Hollow Men and Balverines every single night, risking my life and the life of my men, for this Kingdom, for our King. But not anymore. Not since this lovely creature next to me appeared. She made me understand that now was the time for a true revolution, a revolution she will lead." He jumped down from the table. "Ladies and gentlemen; I have made my choice. It is time you make yours."

"I will stand with you, Captain!" one man said. "'Til the end!"

"Aye!" a woman cried. "Me too!"

"Me too!"

"And I!"

More and more people were pledging there allegiances to Ben, and swore to stand by him until the end. Andrea breathed heavily with both envy and anger. How dared he come like that and act like a royalty himself?

"Marvellous!" Ben said. "Now when we have that done with, let's drink some ale!"

The people cheered, and all of the tension disappeared.

"Princess," Ben suddenly said in the laughing and cheerful crowd, and reached out his hand to help her down.

She ignored him and jumped down by herself.

"Would you do me the honour of taking a walk with me?" he asked and took a bow.

She knew he was making fun of her, and she snorted. Then she grabbed her hat, put her hair in a bun, and placed the hat on her head before she headed towards the exit. She was too angry to listen to anything Ben had to say.

"Princess, wait," Ben called after her, but she didn't care. "Princess!"

She heard how Ben caught up with her just as she was about to reach for the door. "Stop following me, Mr Finn. I have nothing to say to you."

"What? Aren't you glad to see me?" Even though Andrea couldn't see his face, she knew he was smirking.

She turned around to face him. "You ruin everything!"

Ben looked confused. "Ruin? I thought I helped you back there?"

"Helped me?" Andrea growled and took a step closer to him. "You ridiculed me! They haven't pledged any allegiances to me! It's you they'll follow! Not me!"

"And I'll follow you," Ben said. Then he sighed and smirked. "Give it some time, Princess. They'll come around."

"You know what, _Captain_ Finn?" Andrea said, feeling how the tears burned her eyes. "I don't think they will. Thanks to you, I've appeared to be a weak regent. Who would want to be run by a weak Queen?"

"That's not true," he said, his smirk now disappearing.

"It is," she said through gritted teeth. "And that's all I am to you, isn't it? A weak, spoiled little Princess?"

"I didn't—"

"Don't," Andrea said and opened the door. She pulled the hat further down to cover her eyes. "Good night, Mr Finn. Have a nice evening with your new friends."


	5. Elliot

**A/N:** I am SO sorry for the wait! I've had so much to do before my graduation, but I hope I'll get more time to write this summer! Anyway, here's chapter five!

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter**

**Chapter Five**_  
Elliot_

Andrea had never been so angry and disappointed in her entire life. And she was not just angry and disappointed at Ben Finn, but also at herself. She, the Princess of Albion, couldn't even win the trust of her people! How in the world would she ever make it as a Queen? She felt how the tears rolled down her cheek as she walked down towards the docks. She hadn't noticed Tara following her. Neither had Bernard. Not until Andrea had sat down, and felt how someone sat down next to her.

"Men, ey?" Tara said.

Andrea sighed.

"Don' be sad," she continued. "He will never take the crown away from ye."

"How do you know that?" Andrea muttered.

Tara laughed. "'Cause once ye've shown tha' ye're a Hero, they'll follow ye without question."

"How do I do that without drawing attention to myself, then?"

"I dunno," Tara said and shrugged. "Ye know magic, right?"

Andrea nodded.

"Couldn' ye light a candle with just yer 'ands, or somethin'?"

Andrea shook her head. "I don't know how to control it yet. An innocent thing as lighting a candle could end up in disaster."

"I'm sorry to 'ear tha'."

"So, I don't have the gift of speech," Andrea sighed. "Ben has. He can inspire them in ways I never could! They swore to stand by him, not me, in there. When all of this is over, they may want him as King."

Tara shook her head. "Sweetheart, lemme tell ye a thing or two about men; a pretty lass like yerself just needs to wiggle yer eyelashes towards 'im, an' he'll do whatever ye tell him to. Trust me, I know." She smirked. "Show the captain a little helpless femininity an' tell 'im to help ye prove to the people tha' yer a good regent. I believe in ye."

"Thank you," Andrea smiled. For some reason, she saw her mother in this woman. Their appearances were nothing alike; while Queen Sparrow had been tall and muscular with chestnut hair and dark, dazzling eyes and a face haunted by battle scars, but yes so elegant, this woman was rather short, with a slouchy posture and with honey-blonde hair and amber eyes, and her face was rather aged. Not aged by years, but by haggardness. But her amber eyes contained the same glow of power and determination as the Old Hero Queen's eyes. And there was a genuine warmness in her smile; a warmness Andrea suddenly felt she had missed. She had never really had a female to turn to during her childhood. Walter and Jasper had both been like fathers to her, and Logan had been her big brother. But she had no one who had been like her mother. This woman, sitting next to her, was so different from everything she knew. "Thank you," she whispered again.

Tara laughed. "No worries, sweetheart. Now, I suggest ye stay with me. I'll teach ye the way of the Bowerstone people, so tha' ye'll understand why they don' exactly love the royalties around 'ere. An' perhaps ye'll see tha' it'll be easier to win 'em over than ye think."

Andrea nodded. "I would like that. But, do you think it's safe?"

"Ye'll never know until ye try it, will ye?"

Andrea nodded.

"C'mon," Tara said and rose. "Let's go."

Andrea followed. As did Bernard.

"Me children will be home soon, too," Tara sighed as they walked through Bowerstone Old Quarters.

"How many children do you have?"

"Two." Tara smiled. "Eight an' twelve in years. Philip, me oldest, he's a real adventurer. He's always out doin' things he ain't supposed to do. An' Molly, me youngest, she's a real sweetheart, she is! Always comes up to me an' says 'mommy, I've got a little secret for ye!', an' then I asks, 'wha'?', an' then she says, 'I love ye!'. Tha's sweet, innit?"

Andrea smiled and nodded. "Yes, very sweet."

"I've always wondered, I 'ave," Tara continued. "Wha's it like, growin' up with such a cold man as Logan?"

Andrea smiled. "He isn't cold, really. I remember this one time when I had fallen and scraped my knee; he carried me inside and cleaned the wound for me. Then he spent the rest of the afternoon in my company, doing whatever I wanted to do. I was only eight years old, so I wanted to play with dolls and such, and he played with me, even though he's thirteen years my senior. But that was a long time ago. Much has changed. I never thought Logan would be like our father, but I was wrong."

"I have to admit tha' when King Rupert died, an' Logan took the throne, a lot of people cheered," Tara said. "No offence, love, but yer da wasn' the best of people."

"I barely remember him," Andrea admitted. "He's… more like a shadowy figure in my mind. When he was alive, he rarely cared about me. He didn't outlive mother for long, but for that year between mother's death and his own, he didn't care much about me. He was too busy teaching Logan what it meant to be King, and I guess I was too young to take notice."

"Poor lass," Tara sighed. "I'd never neglect me children like tha'! I love 'em so much, it hurts sometimes!"

Andrea smiled weakly. "I take it that you're a good mother than?"

Tara smiled, too. "Aye! That I am."

As they arrived to Tara's house, the children had already come home. The boy, Philip, was sceptic at first when he saw Andrea, but quickly adapted to her presence, and even came to enjoy it. He asked her all sorts of questions about her journey and her powers. The girl, Molly, wasn't interested in her adventures, but was more interested in the life in the castle. Bernard was absolutely crazy about children and loved it when they pet him and hugged him. Even though Andrea wouldn't mind talking to the children the whole night, they had to go to bed. They had another hard day of work ahead of them, and they needed their sleep. As Andrea watched them go to bed, she felt a stab of guilt; this had been going on for a long time, even before she escaped the castle. She could have spoken to Logan, talked some sense into him. She hadn't seen this. Well, perhaps she had seen it, but she hadn't been looking. It shamed her when the realisation struck her. She could have done so much, but all she had done was to complain about her brother's tyrannical ways without making an effort to change. Perhaps she could reach redemption by doing this.

Before Tara went to bed, she made a bed of hay and thick, woollen blankets for Andrea in the back room, and she was happy to go to bed. It was warm and comfortable. Well, as comfortable as it could get, giving the situation. She patted the space next to her, and her furry friend lay down to sleep. But as Andrea looked out the window and gazed upon the tower of the castle, she couldn't help but to miss her warm and soft bed.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben Finn was not sober. He was still in the cellar, which turned out to be the old Tavern-cellar, talking to a Glen and a Robert. His earlier disagreement with the Princess was actually the main topic for the men at the table.

"I've got to say that she has the most exquisite of chests!" Glen said.

Ben shook his head. "Oh, you bloody well know she hasn't! You just think that because she's _royal_!"

"Perhaps I'd like some… royal treatment, if you know what I mean?" The drunken man laughed so hard, he almost fell to the floor. Robert laughed too, and so did Ben. But he didn't laugh quite as much. He didn't find it very amusing. He couldn't say he was particularly fond of the Princess, but she was still a woman to respect. Her mother was Queen Sparrow, and the Princess was the last of the Heroes. At least the last of her bloodline.

"Oh, come on!" Glen said and looked at Ben. "That was funny!" Then he sighed and saw another man in the crowd. "Oi! Peter! Come here, lad!"

A rather young man, with brown hair and rosy cheeks, joined them by the table. He looked suspicious.

"There you are, lad!" Glen laughed. "Been here a while?"

"No," the boy said. "I just arrived. Got into some trouble with the guards."

"I see you didn't get into a fight, then!" Glen said.

"No, then you'd have a nice pair of purple glasses!" Robert said, and the two men fell laughing again.

The boy did not look amused.

"Oi, Rob, there's Vanessa!" Glen growled lowly. "Oh, this time she won't get away!"

"C'mon then, big boy!" Robert said and stood up. "Let's go and get the woman of your life!"

"Aye!" Glen said as he too stood up. The two men left the table, leaving Ben and the boy Peter alone.

Ben leaned back against his chair and took another sip of his ale. He looked at the boy. He seemed too young and too innocent to be a part of such a commonality. He was just about to ask the boy what he was doing in a place like this, but the boy anticipated him.

"Captain Finn," he said. Then he looked around before he leaned closer and lowered his voice. "I hear you've spoken to the Princess."

Ben raised a brow. "Yes… if you had been here when the meeting started, you would have had the chance to talk to her yourself."

"Is she…" The boy seemed to struggle. "Is she well?"

Ben smirked. "She's in danger of becoming less spoiled. Otherwise, she's just fine. Why the curiosity?"

"Do you speak with the Princess frequently?" Peter continued.

"It happens," Ben said and drank from his ale. He was really starting to feel the effect of it now. "Why?"

"Would you give the Princess this message?" Peter picked up an envelope from his pocket and handed it over to Ben. On the envelope it was written, 'little sparrow'. "Tell her… tell her it is from a friend."

Ben looked at the envelope and then at the boy. It hit him like a bolt from the blue. "You're Elliot."

The boy hushed him. "Don't say that out loud! No one here knows it's me."

Ben looked around. "Why won't you tell them?"

"They hate every lord and lady of this city," he muttered. "No, they mustn't know. To them, I'm Peter the Trader's son. Not Lord Elliot. Lord Elliot is dead."

"I believe the Princess will be very sorry to hear that," Ben said and shrugged his shoulders. "You expect the Queen to marry a simple Trader's son?"

Elliot sat dumbfounded. "No, I—she will know who I am the moment she sees me!"

"Yes," Ben said, and this time, he was the one to lean forwards. But he didn't lower his voice. "But you won't be a lord, now, will you? You will be a man of the people. And the Queen doesn't want a man of the people, she wants a man with status. A man with a title."

"I will have to regain my title, then," Elliot said and shrugged.

Ben laughed and drank the last of his ale. "Very well. Good luck with that, Peter the Trader's son."

"Will you give Andrea the letter or not?"

"Fine. I'll give her your letter. But don't expect me to tell her how brave you've been for changing your identity. She suffers from the decision she had to make regarding your life, you know." He rose, and felt how the whole room was swaying slightly. "She's having terrible nightmares."

"She should have chosen to save them," Elliot mumbled. "Those poor people didn't deserve to die. I should have—it should have been me!_ I_ should have given myself to the purpose of the revolution, as a _statement_!"

"Yes," Ben said as he straightened his back scornfully. Lucky for him, he never spluttered when he was drunk. "Because your fine title and life are so much more valuable and would have made such a bigger difference than the lives of some poor people, don't you think?"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Take it as you wish, my lord," Ben smirked and bowed before he left the young man. Yes, Ben had indeed been mocking the young lord. He was not very fond of people from the higher societies thinking themselves better than the rest of the people. Especially not the barely adult, posh pricks like that Elliot. "As a statement?" Ben muttered. "My arse!" He had another pint of ale and a big glass of whiskey on his way out, and started to be a bit round on his feet. And just when he was about to leave, he almost smashed right into the big man Walter Beck. "Well, Wally! Come to join the party, have you?"

"Ben, are you drunk?" Walter boomed.

"Well, I'm not… entirely sober, no, if that's what you're indicating," Ben said as he swayed a bit.

"Not entirely sober?" Walter asked and raised his brows. "You're bloody wasted!"

"No," Ben said. "I can still stand and talk on my own two feet."

"You mean '_talk_ and _stand _on my own two feet'?"

"That's what I said."

"No, you—anyway, Ben, it's good I ran into you. I'd like you meet Page."

"Save an introduction, Walter," a woman said grumpily and appeared from behind the big man. She was a tall, dark woman, with black eyes looking over Ben with a patronizing gleam. "So, this is...?"

"Captain Benjamin Finn, swashbuckling rogue with a fair sense of justice and a good way with ladies, at you service, madam!" Ben said and bowed, as stable as he could.

Walter sighed and massaged the sides of his nose with his fingers. "You're not a pirate, Ben."

"I was, once!" Ben objected. "I think… no, I was! But you're right, I'm not anymore."

Page did not look very impressed. "So you're the famous Captain Finn?"

Ben knew he had just been babbling, but the alcohol had to run its course. "Yes, I am." Then he had to lean his hand against the wall not to fall. "If you all just… excuse me. I have to find my way to the Tavern… and my room."

"Wait," Walter said. "Have you seen Andrea? The _Princess_?"

"Yes," Ben said. "I saw her… sparkling hair as she ran off in her o-so-Hero-like manner."

"What did you do?" Walter growled.

"Nothing!" Ben cried. "I helped her! I think… no, I did! They were going to swallow her whole, Wally, and I helped her. It's not my fault she's a teenager with raging hormones. Her mood-swings are actually pretty astonishing."

"Says the man with a good hand with ladies," Page muttered. Then she looked at Walter. "I'll meet you inside."

Walter nodded and then he glared at Ben. "Listen to me, Ben, because this is important; she is like a daughter to me. If you hurt her, you will regret it. Now, I know you're a good man. Vexing, but good nonetheless. Help her, please."

Ben sighed heavily. His head had started to hurt, and he couldn't really concentrate. "Look, Wally… let's talk about this tomorrow, alright? Give a man a chance to sober up, damn it!"

"Fine," Walter muttered. "We'll talk about this tomorrow. Now, go sleep it off."

"Aye," Ben said and left the cellar and headed towards the Tavern.

**.:*Ö*:.**

_It is sunny and warm out in the gardens. Andrea is playing with her dolls and demands that the servants are her dolls' pets. Then she suddenly drops her dolls and runs into the castle with a wide smile. "Mommy!" the child shouts. "Mommy, where are you?"_

"_I'm in here, darling!" the Queen replies happily from inside a room. _

_Andrea runs to the end of the hall and is finally faced by two big, dark, heavy wooden doors. As she ran through the hall, she aged, and is now a fully grown woman. _

"_Come and say hi to mommy!" the Queen's voice sings from the other side of the doors._

"_I'm coming!" Andrea opens the doors and steps inside the dark and gloomy room. The smell of disease and vomit surrounds the sickroom, and the doors are shut behind her. A pale, puny and ghostlike figure lies in the bed and breathes heavily and rasping. "Mother?"_

"_Come… closer, dear," whispers the Queen hoarsely. _

_Andrea walks closer. The smell is almost worse now, and Andrea wrinkles her nose. She has to watch where she puts her feet because of the holes in the wooden floor. The wall-fabrics are torn as if someone has scratched them in pure devastation and desperation, and the windows are covered with blankets. Andrea sits down beside her mother and takes the weak, pale hand in hers. Only a wax candle is lighting the room, and casts heavy shadows in the sick Queen's face._

"_It… will come… for you," the Queen says. Then she coughs. "It will… curse… your days. Stain you… infect you… kill you." She coughs again. "When it bleeds… it will bleed… your blood. When it cries… it will cry… your tears. It will be… you."_

"_What will come for me, mother?" Logan suddenly says. _

_Andrea looks down on her hand. She is not holding her mother's hand any longer, but Logan is. The Queen had been talking to Logan. _

"_What will come for me, mother?" he repeats. _

"_The Darkness." The Queen then starts to breathe even harder, and a rasping and clanking voice comes from her throat as her eyes grows wider and she reaches for her throat and starts to scratch it uncontrollably. _

"_Mother!" Andrea cries and reaches for her mother._

_The scene is then suddenly dissolved. Andrea stands in the middle of a battlefield. She is unarmed and unprepared for it. Then suddenly she hears someone scream her name, and she turns around. A woman is standing with her own head under her arm, which eyes are looking directly at her._

"_Help me!" she pleads. "Help me!" _

_Andrea screams and stumbles backwards. The woman starts to run after her, and Andrea rises and runs away, but she can't move her legs. They are stuck to the ground and won't move. She sees Ben in front of her and shouts his name. "Ben! Ben!" He doesn't listen. "BEN! Please Ben, help me!"_

_He turns towards her, but aims his gun at her and fires. The bullet hits her heart, and then he leaves her._

"_NO!" She falls to the ground, but the ground doesn't catch her. She falls without an ending, and below her, she can hear the icing laughter of the complete and total darkness devouring her. "NO!"_

"…no!" Andrea mumbled as she flung her eyelids open and sat up, panting. When she realised it had only been a dream she sighed heavily. Sweat was dripping from her forehead, and she was shaking violently. Bernard reacted to this, and sat up, too. Her dreams were getting worse. It was the first time she had dreamt of ther mother in years. It wasn't something they spoke of frequently in the castle. Her mother's illness had been a secret. While the people of the country thought she was out on a dangerous journey, she was really lying in her sickroom, spending her last months in misery. It was the only real picture Andrea remembered of her mother. She was only three years old when the Queen died, and she still remembered when she had to go visit her mother. It was the worst thing in the world, since it smelled so bad and since her mother looked so frightening. Walter and Jasper kept her spirit alive by telling both Andrea and Logan all those stories about her and her adventures, but Andrea had never been as fortunate as to see her in her golden days. When the Queen died, the land was in shock. She died in battle. That was the lie everyone in the castle had to tell. She died an honourable death facing a grim and evil opponent. But in truth, even a child could have killed her when she was at worst. Her illness was a mystery. Some doctors called it insanity, and some called it a deep depression. Logan had not bought any of it. He had been searching for the truth ever since he became King. And somewhere along that line, he changed. He became a bitter tyrant. A tyrant Andrea now had to overthrow before he destroyed the whole of Albion. He who had such potential, such promise. He would have been a great King. But his time was over now.

Andrea stood up, still shaken by the dream. It seemed so… real. The sun had risen, and she could hear the hustle and bustle from outside the windows. She stretched and felt how some of her joints popped. Oh, how she missed her soft bed in the castle! Bernard rose and wiggled his tail as he panted and pointed his ears.

"Yes, boy," Andrea said. "We will go for a walk soon. And we should get you something to eat, too." She sighed and walked out of the back room and into the kitchen. Tara was working out in her small back garden, and the children had already left the house. She walked out to say good morning to Tara.

"Slept well?" Tara asked.

Andrea nodded with an iffy smile. There was no point in telling her about the dream. There was no point in telling anyone, anyway. No one would understand.

"Why don' ye grab some breakfast in the kitchen, love?" Tara asked and smiled.

Andrea clenched her jaw. She didn't want to be rude by saying that she didn't want Tara's food, but she really didn't want it. She didn't feel like she deserved it. She would much rather buy her own breakfast instead of scrounging on her. It was by no means the way of a Princess to eat a poor woman out of her own house when her children had to work in the factory for them to actually _have_ food on the table. "I don't mean to be rude—" Andrea began, but Tara cut in.

"I know ye don' want to sponge out the poor," Tara chuckled, "but don' underestimate me. I can afford ye havin' a slice of bread an' a bowl of oatmeal porridge."

"Oh, don't worry," Andrea smiled. "I will buy something for myself, and then I will bring some food back to you."

"Ye don' have—"

"But want to."

"Very well," Tara said. "It's yer choice. Buy me somethin' good!"

Andrea smiled. "I will." Then she left the backyard and grabbed her hat and left the house. The streets were filled with people and guards, and she kept her head down. She almost didn't dare to stop by any stall to buy food. She made it to Industrial without being suspected, and just as she rounded a corner, she went straight into none other than Captain Benjamin Finn.

"Ah, there you are, Princess," he said, and she clenched her jaw. "I've been looking for you. Now, aren't you happy to see me?"

"I have nothing to say to you," she muttered and went past him.

"Well, you don't have to say anything," Ben said, and she sighed and stopped. "I have a message for you. A letter."

"From whom?" she asked and turned.

"You'll know soon enough," he said. "Now, about yesterday—"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Princess, I only wanted to help," he sighed. "I'm sorry if you think I went too far."

"Yes, I bloody well think you went too far!" Andrea barked. "Now, hand me that letter!"

"Ask nicely."

Andrea inhaled in frustration. The blonde captain stood smirking at her, waving the letter in front of his face. "Would you be so kind as to… stop being such an ass and give me that flaming letter?"

"That wasn't very nice, now, was it?" he smirked and took a step closer.

"Ben, give me my letter," Andrea warned and held out her hand. "If you want me to forgive you, you'd better give me that letter!"

"Ask nicely, Princess." The smirk had disappeared from his lips, and a most serious expression haunted his face. "See this as a lesson of how to get the trust of the people. You need to stop acting like a spoiled child, Princess, otherwise they'll never ally with you. One simple word is the first step towards it."

Andrea sighed. She did not dare to look him in the eyes since she knew he was right. And she hated that fact. She took a deep breath. "Would you give me that letter… please?"

"Yes," Ben smiled and gave the letter to her. "See, that wasn't too hard, was it?"

She snatched it from his hand and looked at it. 'Little sparrow'… she couldn't believe it! It was from Elliot! She tore the envelope open and started to read the letter.

'_My dear Andrea, _

_Too long have we been parted, and I cannot express in words how much I have missed you. There is so much I want to tell you, Andrea, so much that I need to share. _

_Much has happened since you fled, and I do not even know where to begin. Every lord and lady of this city quickly became the target for revolutionists and more than ten nobles have been killed. I changed my name, so that I could involve myself with the revolution in a different way, and I quickly found myself in the midst of it. Therefore, I might have information to help you on your quest. _

_I would love to see you again, Andrea, but if you do not want to see me, then I cannot make you. However, if you want to see me, then go to the orphanage and ask for Peter._

_Yours truly,_

_Elliot.'_

Andrea stared at the letter for a long minute before a big smile spread across her face. "He wants to see me!" She pressed the letter towards her chest and looked up at the blonde captain. "Elliot wants to see me! Oh, how I've longed to see him again!"

The captain, though, did not look very amused. "Of course. Who wouldn't miss someone like Elliot?"

"Jealous?" Andrea smirked.

"Oh, very," Ben replied. "I, too, want to meet such a skilful, talented and devoted… boy."

Andrea could easily read the irony of his reply and snorted. "Well, I, for one, can't wait."

"But you must."

Andrea looked at Ben in chock. "What? No! I don't have to wait. How do you even dare to give me orders?"

"It's not my orders," Ben said and shrugged. "It's Wally's orders. The big man wants to see you."

Andrea sighed heavily. Of course. He had been protecting her from boys for as long as she could remember.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Princess!" he said as he put his arm around her small shoulders as he led her towards the Headquarters. He was surprised she'd even let him touch her. He was actually a bit caught off guard by her sudden change of behaviour. He had to make a quick recovery. "I'm sure that_ Elliot_ will wait!"

"What if he doesn't?" the Princess asked, almost devastated. "What if he thinks that now when you've given me the letter, and I still don't come, I don't want him? Perhaps he can't wait another minute?"

"That is a possibility," Ben said and shrugged as he let his arm fall from her shoulders. He really couldn't care less about that Elliot brat, but it was better to keep Princess Andrea happy than to alarm her even more. "But don't you think he could wait a bit longer? I mean, what are two hours to two months? In fact, I reckon he don't mind, at all! Think about it, Princess; I_ bet_ he is waiting for you to tell him that he's the only one you want as your King. But how could he ever become your _King_ if you're not _Queen_? And to become Queen, you have to prioritise this revolution, right?"

"Well," Andrea said, "when you put it that way!"

Ben smiled again, but it quickly faded. He had just made that theory up as he went along, but as the words came out of his mouth, they actually seemed rather logical, and it made him despise the puny little coward even more. Of course he only wanted to become King of Albion! Why else would he insist on seeing the Princess after what happened? And a man – well, _boy_ – in that age would never hold on to a girl like that. He knew that from experience! There were plenty of girls around that boy that was far more agreeable than Princess Andrea. Perhaps not prettier, but certainly much less spoiled, and they were certainly easier to get one's way with. The Princess was perhaps a spoiled, senseless girl, far too young to manage a quest of this magnitude, but she did not deserve such a lying little bastard. Nevertheless, Ben's opinions meant nothing to her, and why would they? He looked at her. She was looking down on her feet with a sweet smile on her lips. Probably thinking about that Elliot. Why did it bother him so much? He didn't care for the Princess in that way, so why would he ever be bothered about something like that? But it did bother him. A lot more than he would ever want to admit. He knew it was wrong, in so many ways, for him to look at her in that way. She was royalty, for Avo's sake! And as she was over ten years his junior, she was far too young. No, he should be ashamed by even looking at her the wrong way. And yet, he did.

_Don't worry,_ he thought to himself. _You're just a man. A normal, fully sane man. What man would _not_ look at her like that? _It made him feel a little bit better. He started to think about other things, like when he last played cards and when he last killed a Hollow Man. It made him forget about the Princess. For a while.

But as they came to the entrance to the Headquarters, the Princess pulled him right back. "Ben! Ben, please, I don't want to do in there!"

Ben looked at her. Her new, puppy-love self, was nothing he'd ever seen before, but he liked it. "What?"

She sighed and looked away. "I don't want to go in there."

"What are you afraid of?" Ben chuckled.

"Nothing!" Andrea growled. Then she sighed again. "Ben, can you promise me something?"

"What?"

"Promise me, that no matter what is said down there, you'll take my side?" She looked up at him, and those emerald eyes were very hard to resist.

But Ben had seen many beautiful pair of eyes in his days, and he knew how to not lose himself. A smirk dances upon his lips. "So, you really need my help now?"

The Princess's cheeks caught a shade of pink as she looked chocked. Then angered. "Don't be stupid. I merely meant that it would be… nice to have some support in that… raging mob!"

Ben smirked even more. "Right." He couldn't help but to feel a bit self-righteous. He knew he'd been making her a bit embarrassed, and he was amused by it. He was amused by seeing her blush. But he wouldn't put her thought a misery down there, because he understood her worries. "I promise I'll be on your side. As long as you do what I consider is right, I'll always be on your side, Princess." He put on his charming smile this time, and even though he knew the Princess found it most vexing, he still thought he saw a little curve on the corner of her lips.


	6. An Alarming Dream

**A/N: **Hello, my friends! Alright, so I finished the chapter like.. days ago, but at the moment (and for two months from here on) I will be at Daftö Resort, working, and I have to chase an internet-connection around the whole area! I chased the internet for two days before I decided to head down to the reception building to buy a coffee I had to pay through my nose to get, and to get a lousy internet-connection. But now I'm online, my coffee is long gone, and here's chapter six!

Enjoy! **  
**

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter**

**Chapter Six**_  
An Alarming Dream_

Page was a frightening woman, Andrea had to admit that. Not only was she rather tall and muscular, but she also seemed so angry, and not least at Andrea. But she managed to handle herself well down there, even though she did it with a little bit of help from the captain. But now was not the time to think about her performance. She was now racing towards the old orphanage. Towards Elliot. Oh, it felt like years since she'd last seen him! She wondered, had he changed much? Two months wasn't that long, but for a growing man, it could be long enough. Perhaps he was now tall and muscular. Well, at least taller than before. When she last saw him, they were about the same height. Not very impressive for a man. But now, perhaps he had grown to be a bit more like… well, like Captain Finn. She quickly pushed that thought away, as she knew she couldn't think about that roguish captain like that. She had to think about Elliot, the noble and honourable man she ought to love. Perhaps he wasn't the most masculine of men, but she didn't care. It was_ Elliot_! She had been blindly in love with him since she was ten years old! The first time they met, Percy the Blacksmith's son tried to kiss her, and Elliot stopped him. He had said that Percy had "insulted this maiden's honour", and then the big Blacksmith's son had given Elliot a busted lip and then run away. Andrea had given Elliot her handkerchief and thanked the brave knight for saving her from the horrible beast, and for her, it was love at first sight. Of course, a lot had happened these last two months, both to her and to him, but she knew that as soon as they saw each other, it would be like they were never apart.

She rounded the corner to the orphanage and sprinted up the stairs. She hesitated for a second before she opened the door and entered the house. Children's laughter was heard from upstairs, and the hustle and bustle of the kitchen was heard from the other room. Bernard was excited, but Andrea hushed him. She walked carefully towards the kitchen and kept her head down. She decided it was best if they didn't know who she was. The whole city knew she was there, but not what she looked like. Hopefully none of the people in the kitchen had been at the meeting last night. She knocked on the doorframe to get some attention.

"What do you want, boy?"

It was working. "I'm looking for Peter."

"He's down in the cellar," a man said.

Andrea nodded and left. She knew where the entrance was. She had been running through Industrial many times as a child, feeling brave and rebellious. As she reached the cellar, she found that it was open. She peered into the door, afraid to see someone. No one was there. She walked down the stairs, followed by her furry friend, and into the main chamber. That's when she saw him, hunching over a box of potatoes.

"Alright, alright, Danny, I'll be right up!" he sighed.

"Elliot?"

He froze, and Andrea held her breath. She watched as he slowly turned his head towards her with wide eyes. "Andrea?" Bernard wiggled his tail and ran right up to him. "Hello boy! Hello!"

Tears flooded her eyes as she flew over him and embraced him tightly. "Oh, Elliot!" she sobbed. "I've been so afraid! I've seen so many horrible things, done so many horrible things! I've been so afraid!" She couldn't control herself as everything just flew out of her.

"Hush," he murmured and rocked her gently. "Don't worry. You're safe now."

Andrea cried against his chest, her body shaking. "I can't do this, Elliot! I'm not a Hero! I never was!"

"Of course you're a Hero!" Elliot said. "You're the bravest person I know! The bravest, the smartest, the kindest… the prettiest. You're what this country needs, Andrea!"

She didn't answer him but let her cries silence her as she felt the safety of her childhood embrace her.

**.:*Ö*:.**

_The sweet scent fills the throne room as the young Queen enters. She is wearing her crown and a big, spectacular dress. Ben bows deeply. _

"_Oh, you don't have to do that, Benjamin," the Queen says with that soft, angelic voice._

_Ben looks up. The crown is gone, and her auburn curls falls beautifully over her shoulders and her emerald eyes are piercing him. "You called for me, my Queen."_

"_I did." She walks closer to him. She is only wearing a foreign, green silk robe with silver details. The cleavage is deep, and Ben can't help but to set his eyes on it. She stops and smiles. "Do you enjoy the view, Captain Finn?" _

_Ben looks up. "You know I do."_

_She smiles again and then she walks over to the bed. They are now in the Royal bedchamber. She lies down on her side and looks at Ben and smiles seductively. "Come here, Ben."_

_Ben does as the Queen commands him and sits down by her feet. _

_She rises to a sitting position and leans in towards him. "Touch me, Captain Finn." _

_Her full lips tease him, and her sweet scent makes him woozy. He brings his hands to her shoulders and slowly makes the silk fabric fall from them. She smiles as the robe comes off and reveals a red, silk bustier. Ben leans in to kiss her, but she laughs and pushes him away. _

"_You are too hasty, Mr Finn," she says. She then takes her place on Ben's lap, facing him, and brings her hands to his face. "My strong, dangerous Captain Finn… who could ever choose such a lying little coward like _Elliot _over _you_?"_

"_I don't know," he says and puts his hands on her thighs. Her soft skin feels like silk under his fingertips, and he pulls her even closer. She laughs. _

"_Kiss me, Captain Finn," she whispers in his ear._

_Ben smirks as he takes the Queen's face in his hands and slowly presses his lips against hers. The sweet flavour of apple reaches him, and he pulls her closer to him. He is filled with desire, and it makes him force his tongue inside her mouth. The taste of her is sweet and soft, and Ben holds on to her tighter so that she can't escape from him. Her hands are in his hair and she moans softly against his lips as she pulls away. _

"_Do you want me, Captain Finn?" she asks as she starts to move her hips back and forth, creating such an arousal, Ben could hardly contain himself._

"_I want you."_

_She leans in to whisper in his ear; "do you really want me, Captain Finn?"_

"_I want you!"_

"I want… you…"

"Well, isn't that lovely?"

Ben flung his eyes open as Walter's booming laugh spread across the room. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Sorry Wally, what were you saying?"

Walter shook his head. "I said; all we have to do is to—how much did you _really _drink last night?"

"I'm sorry," Ben said. "I swear to Avo, I only closed my eyes for two seconds."

"And you fell asleep."

"In two seconds!" Ben yawned. "How long was I out?"

"Only a minute or so," Walter said and shrugged. "But you need to focus, boy!"

"Of course, absolutely." Ben shook his head and straightened. His head was throbbing and his eyelids were heavy. He must have still been drunk when he woke up this morning, because when he had arrived at the tavern the night before, he had gotten himself some more beer and whiskey, and in the end, he was so drunk he had almost been dragging himself up the stairs to his room. He had felt fine when he had met the Princess and when they had been at the meeting with Page and Walter, but now, he did not feel fine.

"So, Page's demands are simple; take care of Nigel Ferret and his gang, and we'll have the trust of the Resistance," Walter said.

Ben closed his eyes. "Alright. So how do we find this Ferret fellow?"

"_We_ aren't going to do anything," Walter said. "_You_ are going to help Andrea take care of the gang. She needs the support of the people, and you need to be there to make sure nothing happens to her."

"She'll never let me help her," Ben sighed. The Princess… the only thing he could picture in his head at this very moment was the young woman in the red bustier, and he knew it was very, very inappropriate. But he couldn't help it. A smirk haunted the corners of his lips. "She'll be as mad as a Hobbe if she knows you've told me to keep an eye on her."

"She doesn't have to know that," Walter said, not seeing the smugness in Ben's face.

"Why don't you believe in her?" Ben asked. "I know she's a bit young and inexperienced, but she is a Hero, after all."

"I know she can do well," Walter sighed. "But she is far from ready to face all this on her own. She's done a great job so far, but she doesn't know her own powers yet. Every time she tries to cast a powerful spell, she faints, and unfortunately, that's her strength. She's not a swordswoman, nor a markswoman—"

"You don't say?" Ben muttered.

Walter glared at him. "She's a sorceress. I've known that since she was a child and could control the flames of the candles in the chandeliers. She once put Logan's wooden sword on fire because he refused to lend it to her."

"Doesn't surprise me," Ben said. "She seems like a girl who knows what she wants."

Walter chuckled. "Indeed she is. A bit too stubborn at times. And that is why you have to help her. Be there for her when she needs it."

Ben sighed and massaged his temples. "Look, Wally, I don't mean to be rude, but isn't that your job?"

"I'm a wanted man, Ben," Walter said. "I need to stay here, underground. You need to be my eyes and my ears out there."

Ben sighed deeply. "I never signed up for this, Walter."

"Then what did you sign up for?" Walter asked. "I received a letter from Major Swift earlier this morning. He's coming here, within a fortnight, with the rest of the men."

"They're abandoning Mourningwood Fort?" Ben gasped. He couldn't believe it. Major Swift would never abandon a mission like that.

"The Hollow Men stormed it," Walter said. "Five died. The Major decided that it was time to turn back home before anyone else got killed."

Ben nodded. Five dead… he wondered who they were. Had he talked to them much? Had he laughed with them? Wept with them? Fought them? No matter who they were, they had been five of his brothers-in-arm.

"He had sent for back-up, but Logan refused," Walter continued, and Ben clenched his jaw.

Of course. That was the only reason why they were sent there in the first place; Logan knew that if there were anybody that would oppose him, it was Major Swift and those loyal to him. That was why his troops were sent to Mourningwood. Of course Logan knew that the constant attacks of the Hollow Men would break them in time, and it was just a matter of time before the whole Swift Brigade was annihilated. But Logan wouldn't succeed. No, Ben would make sure that Princess Andrea truly would be Logan's fall from grace, even if it meant making her hate him.

"Now, about that Ferret," Walter said. "I suggest you go and find Andrea. I'm sure she won't miss an opportunity to prove herself to Page and the Resistance."

Ben nodded. "And what about Elliot?"

"Elliot?" Walter looked astonished. "What do you know about him?"

"That he's just a boy," Ben said and shrugged. "A stupid, naive lad with a bit too big infatuation with the Princess. Unfortunately, he holds the affection of the Princess, and therefore, he could become a problem."

Walter looked horrified. "I thought he left the city…"

"No," Ben laughed. "He only changed his name, that coward."

"This can't be publicly known," Walter warned. "If it is, Page will have him killed."

"Well," Ben muttered, "if that little brat holds us back, I'll kill him myself."

**.:*Ö*:.**

"I have no idea what to do now," Andrea sighed. She had been sitting in Elliot's lap for over two hours, talking about her journey and her problems and listening to his two month apart from her. "To gain the trust of Page, I have to take care of some… Nigel Ferret. I don't even know who that is!"

Elliot shook his head. "Ferret is a horrible man. If I were you, I'd stay as far away from him as possible. It's a sick hobby of his to collect beautiful, young women like you."

"I have to find him," Andrea said. "Otherwise I'll never get the support of the Resistance."

"Page is proud," Elliot said. "But she isn't heartless. She knows you're the only one who can overthrow Logan, but she's too proud to admit it."

"So, how do I make her swallow that pride?"

"I don't know."

They sat silent for a while, just holding each other, down in the cellar of the orphanage. It wasn't until another good ten minutes any of them spoke.

"I've been wondering," Elliot began, "that… that captain…"

"What about him?" Andrea's voice was hard. She didn't want to think about Ben right now. She wanted to only think about Elliot.

"Do you—have you—do you hold any… affection for him?" Elliot sounded weak, and petty, and Andrea raised her eyebrows.

"Affection? For Captain Finn?" She then laughed. "For Avo's sake, Elliot! What do you take me for? A petty beggar? No. I hold no affection for the captain." She looked away and shook her head. Did she hold any affection for him? No, it could not be. How could she when she found his rudeness and improper manner repulsing? Although, whenever she thought about his vexing smirk, those rough, muscular arms, that smell of musk, sweat, blood, forest and smoke and those transfixing, blue eyes, something stirred inside of her. Was it affection? No… no, it could not be. She looked at Elliot and smiled. "Why do you ask me such a thing?"

Elliot looked away as a pink shade played upon his cheeks. "I don't know. I just—I feel a bit inferior to the men you fight along. They are all much stronger and more courageous than me. And Captain Finn has a reputation of being good with ladies, and—"

"Elliot, you don't have to worry," Andrea smiled. He didn't have to worry, whatsoever. Even if Captain Finn was the sort of man that could make her knees weak, Elliot was her betrothed, and she would not want anyone else by her side as her husband once she became Queen. "Now, about Nigel Ferret; what do you know?"

"He's a fearsome man," Elliot said. "Gruesome murders, numerous rapes, continuous robberies… it is said that the General of the Elite Guards takes bribes from Ferret so that he won't be arrested, and they've made a deal; as long as Ferret keeps his gang away from the castle and the Market, he's free to do practically anything he wishes."

Andrea nodded. She couldn't deny that she was a bit afraid. Hollow Men, Hobbes, Balverines… they were all predictable, because they did what they always did. No exceptions. But humans… they were something else. They were cunning and unpredictable. She feared humans more than she feared Balverines. Humans could hurt her much deeper.

"But don't worry," Elliot said with an iffy smile. "I bet he'll run when he hears you're after him. Now, let's go to the Riveter's Rest and grab a pint, shall we?"

Andrea nodded, and they rose and left the cellar. As they walked through Industrial, Andrea had still not been able to stop thinking about Captain Finn, and neither had Elliot.

"Did you know that he was a pirate once?" he asked. "Despicable!"

Andrea chuckled. "I knew that, Elliot."

"Well, don't you find that repulsive?"

"I do." But the picture of the captain in a loose, white, bloodstained shirt aboard a dreaded ship was everything but repulsive.

"And don't you think his drinking habits are absolutely contemptible?"

"I do."

"I mean, just because he is good with his gun, doesn't mean he's an honourable man!"

"Elliot," Andrea sighed. "Why are you so obsessed with the captain?"

Elliot clenched his jaw. "In comparison to him… I'm nothing."

"Stop it," Andrea ordered. "In comparison to him, you're everything. You're everything he's not; you're kind, honourable, noble and safe. He's… well, not that."

"But he could much easily please you," he muttered.

"Elliot," Andrea growled and came to a halt. "If you don't stop speaking about Benjamin Finn, I'll walk away and never speak with you again. Do you hear that?"

"But—"

"I'm sick of hearing about Captain Finn!" Andrea muttered through gritted teeth and stormed past Elliot. "Come on, Bernard." The dog hurried to catch up with her.

"Andrea!" Elliot called. "Andrea, wait!"

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben was annoyed. He had searched for the Princess everywhere, but she was nowhere to be found. She was probably somewhere with that Elliot, and that was even more vexing. He walked in a rapid pace through Industrial. Hopefully, the Princess hadn't gone to the Market or Old Town, because if she had, he'd never found her. But he was a bit afraid of seeing her. What would he see? Would he see the prudent Princess, or the woman in the red bustier?

"_Andrea! Andrea, wait_!"

He stopped. If he wasn't mistaken, that was Elliot. And why on earth did he shout her name out in the open like that? He tightened his fists and rounded the corner. The Princess was heading right towards him, and gasped and immediately stopped when she saw him, but he did not look at her. He went right past her towards that stupid Elliot who had been shouting the Princess of Albion's name out on the streets of the same city where she had a price on her head. He grabbed the boy violently by the collar and shook him. "Are you mad?"

"Ben!" the Princess gasped from behind him. "What's wrong with you?"

"Do you have_ any_ idea of what people would do if they knew who she is?" Ben growled and continued to shake the frightened boy.

"I—I—" Elliot tried, but nothing came after that.

"Ben, put him down!" the Princess warned and grabbed one of his arms. "Ben!"

Ben let go of the boy and glared at him. Then he addressed the Princess. "Come with me, Princess. We're off to find Nigel Ferret."

She sighed in submission and looked at Elliot. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "I understand." Then he glared at Ben and dusted himself off. Ben glared back. He wouldn't let such a fancy, little boy be a threat to him. Elliot looked back at the Princess. "Your Grace." Then he bowed deeply and left.

Ben snorted. "What a little weasel!"

"Are you completely mad?" the Princess growled. "What's gone into you? Why did you do that?"

Ben raised his brows. He had been helping her! He had saved her life! She had a rather large amount of money on her head, and people would gladly turn in the spoiled Princess for ten thousand gold coins. He then took a deep breath and clenched his jaw. "In case you didn't know, you're a very wanted person in this city. It's not really the wisest of things to shout your name on the streets, do you think?"

She looked up at him, but didn't say anything. She seemed to agree, though very reluctantly.

"Now," he said and sighed, "you need to get the trust of the Resistance, otherwise you won't get any help from them."

"Elliot says that Ferret is a gruesome man," she said.

If he wasn't mistaken, there was both some fear and uncertainty in her voice. "Don't worry, Princess," he said. "We'll get him."

"I don't need your help," she suddenly muttered.

He chuckled. "Fine, I'll just leave you here then." He stopped and looked around. "I bet there's a lot I could do around here."

"What?" she asked, horrified. "Don't—don't leave."

"Oh, so you _do _need my help?" Ben smirked. He knew the Princess found it if very hard to admit such a thing. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. Ben observed her, and he couldn't help but to feel a burning desire. He still remembered the dream as if it had been reality, and her emerald eyes pierced through him like nothing else.

"Don't flatter yourself, Mr Finn," she muttered and walked ahead of him.

Ben smirked and followed.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Andrea did not like dark, confined spaces. She did not like darkness whatsoever, but recently, she had somehow found herself in a lot of these spaces. Now included. Of course Nigel Ferret and his gang had to be in the sewers. Of course they had to be under ground. Of course they all had to be gruesome men with nasty teeth and unfair complexion. But she was glad that Ben was with her, even though she'd rather die than admit that to him. He already had enough self-confidence. But she felt safe with him on her side. Bernard, that coward, had whimpered and refused to enter the sewers. She did not blame him. If she wasn't obligated to enter them herself, she would whimper, too. But now, she stood in front of Nigel Ferret, a notorious criminal in Bowerstone, and his men. He was sitting on a chair, counting gold coins on a table. A most horrible smirk played on the criminal's face as he looked at her.

"Well, well, well," he said. "I knew the Princess was in town, but I had never expected to be so honoured as to have her here in my humble abode. And I must say," he eyed her, "that the Princess is certainly very pleasing to the eye… yes… very pleasing, indeed…"

"Shut it, Ferret," Ben growled.

"Ah, and Captain Finn of the Albion Royal Army! What a pleasure!" The criminal laughed scornfully as he continued to count the gold coins on his table. "Now, tell me," he said without looking up, "and to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I've come to seize you, Ferret," Andrea said boldly. "Surrender, and we won't kill you."

"Seize me, you say?" Ferret chuckled scornfully, and the other around him started to laugh, too. "Well then, my little kitten, what are you waiting for?" He stood up and pulled his gun. He wasn't impressively tall, and he wasn't even close to being the slightest handsome. But he was armed and dangerous. Ben had pulled his rifle, and she did not question his ability to kill all of the criminals with less than ten bullets. But she questioned her own abilities…

"Do what you're good at," Ben whispered through gritted teeth.

"What?" Andrea breathed. What did he mean?

"Use the magic inside you, Andrea," he whispered again, and she gasped. He was right! She was bad with the sword and a lousy shot, but she did know how to use magic, as long as she didn't charge it up too strongly. She took a deep breath and felt how the magic rose inside of her. She just had to learn how to control it.

Ferret fired first, and then there was a rain of bullets. Andrea and Ben had to hide quickly behind a barrel each to stay out of harm's way. Ben fired his rifle and hit a man with each bullet. But there were more of them arriving on the scene. They were like rats. Ben fired with all his might, as Andrea tried to gather as much energy as she could to knock them all out with one spell.

"Do something, Princess!" Ben roared as he fired a shot and then quickly ducked to avoid getting hit.

"I'm trying to!"

"Trying to what?" Ben shouted. "Blow up the whole bleeding sewers? Take them one by one!"

Andrea was confused in the heat of the battle. She didn't know what to do. She could hear how the wood of the barrels broke on several places, and she feared that a bullet would soon come flying through the wood and into her flesh. She drew her mother's old Steel Clockwork Pistol and fired a shot or two. She had no idea if she hit anyone, but frankly, she didn't care. As long as the enemy knew she was armed and that she knew how to use a gun, they wouldn't know if she hit anyone or not. There were so many bullets in the air anyway, it was impossible to know which bullet belonged to whom. But Andrea knew this couldn't keep up. She ducked down behind her soon-no-more barrel, and charged up the energy inside of her. The adrenaline from the battle helped a great deal as she produced a small ball of fire in her hand. She was a bit astonished by the flame; she knew the flame would burn and possibly kill anyone she threw it on, yet it did not hurt her one bit. But enough wondering. She rose swiftly and catapulted the ball towards the enemy. It hit one of the men, which fell to the floor, screaming in pain as the flames licked him.

"Witch!" another man shouted and aimed a shot towards Andrea, but she was gone. Andrea was nowhere to be seen, because at this very moment, the Princess had understood what she could do and what she had to do, understood who she really was. It was a Hero, pure and proud, that stood in the middle of the battlefield, with fire in her hands and bloodlust in her eyes. A revengeful captain with impeccable shooting-skills stood beside her, and for a moment, it seemed like the enemy shook with fear. But that moment did not last long as Nigel Ferret shouted at his men to kill them as he, himself, ran away, further down the sewers.

"Go!" Ben shouted at the Princess.

"What about you?" Andrea replied.

"I can take these," he laughed. "Oh, I've longed for some action! Now, go! Get Ferret!"

Andrea nodded and darted after the criminal. The darkness and the stench of the sewers disappeared as she ran determinately after Nigel Ferret. The man panted terrified as he glanced over his shoulders every other second, only to see the Hero coming closer by each step. Andrea did not hesitate one second when she charged a ball of fire in her hand and threw it towards Ferret, who fell to the ground, in flames. As she reached him she put the fire out and grabbed the defeated criminal by his collar. He was heavy, but all the adrenaline and magic that pumped through her body seemed to make her stronger than ever, and she even succeeded to lift him up to face her, thought not entirely without difficulty. She glared at him, partly in anger and partly in triumph. "Like I said; I've come to seize you. Surrender, or die."

"We could strike a deal, you and I," Ferret said. "Purr for me, my little kitten!"

Andrea growled as she let the back of her hand slap his face hard. "You scum. You are worth nothing more than the shit of a rat, and you deserve nothing better than that. Rats, there will be plenty of them where you're goin."

The man looked defeated. And humiliated. To be hunted down and beaten by a woman, a teenager no less, must be a hard blow on one's self-esteem. And not to mention that Andrea was far smaller than Ferret! All of those things made this victory even more meaningful to her.

She dragged him back. Her arm had started to soar a bit as the adrenaline disappeared, but she was still determined to get him to jail. He tried to wiggle his way out of her grip, but each time he did so, she threatened him with a glowing hand. That silenced him, at least for a while. When they returned to the main chamber, bodies were lying everywhere. Ben was bloodstained, but seemed satisfied. He wore a most disturbing smirk upon his lips as she stopped to stare at him.

"Ah, so you caught him!" he smiled. "Marvellous!"

"I did…" She looked around at the bodies. It did look like a massacre in there, but it wasn't too messy. It seemed wrong to think of it that way, but it was all very neatly done, actually. There had only been one shot in each of them, and most of the bullets had hit their heads or their chests. A flash of a bullet hitting her heart covered her sight for a split second, a memory from a dream she'd had recently. She looked into the captains blue eyes, and she seemed to find something… intriguing. If it was his raging testosterone from killing a dozen men, or if it was even more bloodlust, or something else, she could not tell. But those blue eyes looked at her in a way she was not familiar with.

"You did well today, Princess," he then said.

"We did it together, Captain," she replied with a smile.

**.:*Ö*:.**

There came times when Benjamin Finn forgot everything there was to know about responsibility, conscious and goodness, and simply bathed in bloodlust and the joy of killing people that didn't really matter. He was not a bad man. Not really. He was just… well, a human. Every time he saw a criminal, he saw his brothers' murderers, and he could see no wrong in killing them. Sure enough, he had been a criminal himself, and was still not entirely throwing straight dices, but he had at least not killed an innocent person.

Even though he had felt a certain bloodlust from the moment they stepped into the sewers, it still felt like the right thing to do to wait until the Princess had ran after Ferret before he started his killing spree. By the time the Princess had returned, he had killed the last man of twelve, and as she stood staring at the corpses, he smirked, probably a bit madly. "Ah, so you caught him!" He looked at the man whose collar the Princess held in her hand. "Marvellous!" He met her emerald eyes, and he could not help but to lust for her. Such a fragile little creature she was, and yes she had succeeded to strike down a man like Ferret. A jolt of hunger shot through his body like electricity, and he didn't even try to hide it. People could call it adrenaline or testosterone or any other strange term, but he wanted to have her, there and then, in the midst of the bloody scene. He wanted her in that red bustier, with her auburn hair falling gracefully over her shoulders. Well, he would of course prefer her naked, but he wasn't that very picky. The clothes would come off rather quickly anyway. He had always had a weak spot for strong women, and this was the first time the Princess had proven to him that she was strong and that she wasn't the complaining, little child she first seemed to be. And the dream he'd had of her still lingered fresh in his mind. He could still taste the sweetness of her. "You did well today, Princess." He manage to keep a rather normal tone as he spoke, and when he saw the smile on her face, he had to clench his jaw not to jump right at her, like a predator.

"We did it together, Captain," she replied, her voice like silk.

That was when he truly realised; he was in deep trouble.


	7. Mistakes

**A/N: **Oh. My. Dear. Avo! I'm done! I'm ACTUALLY done! It's insane! Sorry for the long wait. I had the world's fattest brick between me and my inspiration, and tonight, I finally crushed it, after months of hammering. And now I'm done. Hopefully, things will go a bit faster from here on. Can't promise anything, though.. :/ Anyway, here's chapter seven!

Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter**

**Chapter Seven**_  
Mistakes_

Celebration was in the air in Bowerstone Industrial. Page and the Resistance had finally acknowledged Andrea to be a Hero and the only one who could truly overthrow Logan, and because of it, the Princess of Albion had finally received the trust of the people that she deserved. Her victory over the feared Nigel Ferret had become some of a legend, and the help from a handsome, blonde captain had seemed to have somehow vanished as the story of the fight went along. But that was all by his own choice. He had decided that it was her time to shine amongst these people. And she did shine, indeed; they were praising her, singing to her and drinking to her. She was now the Queen of Industrial, much to Page's dislike. But not even she could deny the powers of a true Hero.

Ben, on the other hand, could not deny how much he wanted her. The feelings from earlier that day had not disappeared, even after the adrenaline had run its course. He still looked at her with the same adoration, and when he was a bit more clear-minded, he knew that wanting the Princess of Albion was probably the worst mistake he could ever make. But after some pints, that clearness of mind had simply disappeared, and he found himself watching the Princess throughout the evening; the way she swayed across the room, the way her hair moved, the way she smiled… she was only a child, and yet, she seemed so grown-up. She had the looks of a woman, the voice of a woman, the body of a woman… so, why wasn't she one? Why did she have to be just a girl still? And Ben almost exploded with anger and vexation as that prick Elliot joined the merry party and clutch to the Princess as if she was his mother. It was sickening to see. A sad, puny and pathetic excuse of a man! He was certainly no man for her. In fact, he was no man at all! But the most sickening thing was that the Princess herself seemed flattered and glad by that rat's boyish nature. Even she had had some pints – to Walter's great dismay – and was starting to be a bit round on her feet. She clung around Elliot's neck as if he was her body. The only time she wasn't touching, talking or seeing him in any way was when she finally walked up to Ben with a huge grin on her face.

"I did it!"

"You did," Ben smiled. "Well done, Princess."

"Are you proud of me?" She battered her eyelashes and swayed like a little girl.

Ben chuckled. "Of course I am." Then he raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't have done it without me, though."

"True," the Princess said and nodded as she pondered about something. "And what do you want in return, my good sir?"

Ben was astonished. Was she actually acknowledging that half of her success was all due to Ben? Was she offering something in return? He knew what he wanted, but he could never demand that. Although… perhaps there was a way to get her away from that Elliot for a while before he polluted her all too much? "Well," he said, "would the Princess honour me by having a drink with me?"

The Princess smiled. Her eyes were a bit drowsy, and she seemed to be rather intoxicated already. "I would love to."

They took a seat by a table. No one joined them, as they were all dancing. Ben poured some liquor into a glass each, feeling irresponsible. He was after all supposed to be the honourable soldier here… however, he had never claimed to be one. He handed one on the glassed over to the Princess, and together they raised them. "To recognition!"

"To recognition!" she slurred, and they both swallowed the liquor in one sweep. She groaned heavily as she slammed the glass back onto the table. "Oh! That burns!"

Ben couldn't keep a straight face and laughed, half amused and half smug. "You softie."

"I am not a softie!" she gasped. "Pour me another one, and you'll see!" She pointed a finger at him, but she couldn't aim straight. She tried to aim it at him a bit better by closing her one eye and sticking her tongue out, but she still couldn't seem to aim right.

Ben laughed. "You are truly a lousy markswoman."

She hushed him loudly. "I'm a Hero! I can do anything. Pour me another one! If you dare, of course!"

Ben raised his eyebrows and shook his head as he poured the Princess another glass. He then poured one to himself, but before he had filled it, Andrea slammed her glass onto the table and gave a rather shrill moan.

"A—another one!"

"I think that's quite en—"

"Another one! Don't be such a wanker, captain!" she slurred.

Ben raised an eyebrow and poured her yet another. She heaved it, just as fast as the other, and then slammed the glass onto the table, so hard it slipped and fell to the stone floor and crashed.

She giggled. "Oops."

He clenched his jaw. "I think you'd do well with a bit of air, Princess." He then emptied his glass in one go as he rose from his chair and went to help Andrea stand.

"No, no," she said. "I can stand by myself."

"Sure about that?"

"Yeah…" But she fell the second he let go of her, and he was quick to catch her again.

"I think the Princess has had a little bit too much to drink," he said. "Don't you?"

"No!" Andrea said. "No… I'm… I'm fine."

"Come one," he said and placed her arm around his shoulders as he placed his arm around her waist. He then led her through the crowded rooms and up the stairs and out the door of the Headquarters. The cool evening air was quite chilling, but refreshing. The intoxicating smell of Princess Andrea's hair was mixed with the smell of alcohol, but he didn't care. The feel of her waist in his arms, her body so close to his, was almost overpowering. He looked at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Everything's swaying…" She narrowed her eyes a bit and put her other hand to her head. "Where am I?"

"You're in Bowerstone, Princess," Ben said. "In Industrial."

"Oh, right…" She sighed. "And who are you again?"

"I'm Ben. Ben Finn."

"Oh, Ben!" she smiled. "Hi Ben!" She threw her other hand around his neck, and clung to him.

"Yes, hello to you too, Princess," Ben said, a bit uneasy with the whole situation. Andrea was far too drunk to do anything by herself, and to go back into the Headquarters was not a good idea. She needed to sober up before she faced either Walter or Page.

"You smell so good, Ben," she said, muffled against his chest.

He knitted his brows. And what now? "You… smell good too, Princess. C'mon, let's go for a little walk."

"You smell like a man," she continued, either not hearing his last plead, or simply ignoring it.

"And you smell like a woman," he sighed. "Now, let's go."

She turned so that he could much easily lead her toward somewhere they could sit, but she did not let go of his neck. "Where are we going?"

"We're going somewhere so that you can sit down," he said. "You need to sober up a bit. You don't want to meet Walter like this, do you?"

"I suppose not," she sighed. "But where are we going?"

"Somewhere to sit."

"Oh, yes, please!" she said. "My legs are burning!"

Leading her away from Industrial, he finally found a quiet place where they would sit. It was on a pretty, green little patch down by the channel. He sat her down, and she placed her head on his shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"No good," she replied. "What's that up there?" She pointed towards the castle, and Ben sighed.

"That's the castle, Princess," he said. "That's your home."

"Right," she said. "That's my home… where's your home?"

He was somewhat surprised to receive that question. Where _was _his home? The realisation hit him; "I don't have a home."

"You don't? I… I don't know if I have a home, either. Do I?"

Ben pointed towards the castle. "That's your home, Princess."

"Oh, right!" she said. "Sorry…"

"No need to apologise," he said. There was a strange stab inside of him; he really didn't have a home. The Mourningwood Fort had been his home for the last six month, but it was hardly a place anyone wanted to call home now, was it? No, he simply had to live with that fact that he'd left home years ago, and that he was never to find another one. He was a roaming soul; wherever he lay his head was home to him. At least that was what he wanted to believe.

They sat on that patch for a while. Ben had ordered a child on the streets to run into the Riveter's Nest to get some water for his lady as the Princess had vomited, and cried a bit about the horrible dreams she had had. Not that he actually understood any of what she was saying. It was all too vivid; a room filled with women with their heads under their arms, a sick lady with a long, scratchy neck, several abysses and somewhere in between, he had shot her. Didn't make much sense. They seemed clearly disturbed, but they didn't make any sense.

Now, around two hours after, she had started to sober up a bit.

"I'm so sorry, Ben," she said drowsily with her head on his shoulder.

"No worries, Princess," Ben said. "How do you feel now?"

She straightened. "Better," she smiled and looked at him. "Thanks to you."

There was a pause. Ben observed her; her chest was rising and falling in an even pace, and her auburn curls danced in the soft breeze. The emerald eyes in her marble face glittered, and her soft, full lips begged for his. He leaned closer. She did not pull away. _Just do it, you coward!_ He mused to himself before he closed the distance between their lips and kissed her. The sweet, sweet taste of her… it hit him like a bullet; a fiery, deadly bulled. When he felt that she was answering his kiss, he grabbed her and pulled her closer. She locked her arms around his neck as he lifted her up to his lap. Their tongues dances wildly around each other as he let his hands slid down to her thighs. He wanted to tear at her clothes, get rid of them, but he knew he couldn't do that. Not out here in the open. Too bad they weren't at a room in a tavern. Sure, he knew it was wrong to take advantage of a girl that barely knew what she was doing, but still… this was all too rare to waste. A chance like this might never come again. He was just about to ready himself to break the kiss to suggest a trip to the tavern, or at least to somewhere they could be a bit more alone, when she suddenly gasped loudly and pulled away, and a hand came flying across Ben's face.

"How _dare_ you?" she gasped as she sprung to her feet.

Ben was confused. She had thrown herself at him, and then she had slapped him, so hard he was sure he was bleeding from the insides of his cheek.

"You _dirty_ _scum_!" she spat. "I am the Princess of Albion! Not some _whore_! Go and find someone else to fill your needs, Captain Finn!" She then stormed off, leaving Ben in a very confused state, but he knew he'd done something he'd have to regret, for a very long time.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Her head hurt, as if a troll has smashed her head with the biggest rock it could find. Her head had split in two. No, three! The sunlight bursting in through the window was blinding her, and the strong, repulsive smell from the kitchen made her want to vomit. She heard footsteps, loud as explosions, and when the door to the back room opened, she cursed silently to herself and wondered why the person coming in could be just a little bit quieter?

"How are ye feelin'?" Tara's voice boomed in Andrea's ears.

"Stop shouting!" Andrea pleaded and buried her face in the pillow.

"Sorry," Tara laughed in what was supposedly meant as a whisper. "I just brought ye some tea. Thought ye might want some, eh?"

"No thanks," Andrea muttered.

"I'll put it next to ye, if ye change yer mind." She then left.

Andrea sighed as she turned to her back. What had happened last night? She could hardly remember a thing? She remembered having a drink with Ben, but that was all. She couldn't remember anything else. There was a flash of green before her eyes; grass. She had been sitting on grass. There was some water there, too, somewhere… it didn't matter. She couldn't remember it, anyways. Nevertheless, there was a nagging feeling inside of her that something of value had happened. She felt angry, and embarrassed, but most of all, she felt… well, like butterflies were playing wildly in her belly. What had happened? She looked at the tea Tara had made for her. She reached for the cup and took a sip. It did not taste well, but she had a feeling it wasn't Tara's fault; everything would probably taste horrible as long as she was in this state. She tired her best to remember what had happened last night, but there was nothing; no pictures, nothing. All that kept running through her head was Ben, but she remembered having a drink with him, so that was clearly not the thing she had forgotten about! Had she said something to Walter? Had she tried to escape to the castle? Had she said something mean to Elliot? She gasped. That was it, she was sure of it! She had been mean to Elliot! She, with her stupid infatuation with Ben, had said something hurtful to Elliot! Oh, she was a despicable human being! How could she do something like that! She stood up, not without difficulties, and made her way to the door. Her head was spinning, but she had to fight it; she had to apologise to Elliot. She made it to the kitchen where the strong smell of something frying burned her nose, and she had to hurry outside.

"Feelin' better?" Tara asked as Andrea hurried out the door.

Andrea never answered. She struggled to stay on her feet as she hurried outside and towards Industrial. She had to say that she was sorry, and she had to do it quick!

"Ye flamin' girl!" she suddenly heard Tara shout after her. She didn't bother to turn, but then she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped. "Are ye out of yer mind?" She forced the hat into Andrea's arms and growled; "put it on before somebody sees ye!"

Andrea nodded and but the hat on her head. She was a bit ashamed. Her head was still spinning as if she was still drunk. But she continued. Bernard had caught up with her and was looking up at her with his tail wiggling.

"Not now, boy," Andrea managed to say as she kept on walking towards Industrial.

**.:*Ö*:.**

"This is perfect, Ben!" Walter boomed. "She was fantastic! Now we've got the trust of the Resistance." He paced back and forth inside the underground tavern. "This is good. This is perfect."

"So you keep saying," Ben muttered.

"Well, don't you agree?" Walter asked.

"Of course," Ben said muttered, "she was brilliant! Bloody fantastic."

Walter laughed. "Are you jealous? That she did better than you?"

Ben glared at him. "No." No, he wasn't jealous about anything. Yes, alright, he was a bit tired of hearing how well thePrincess had been doing, but that was not what was eating him. His cheek was still sore. That was why he was so grumpy today. And he was ashamed, too. He had made such a huge mistake. It could cost him his bloody head! But the feeling was still there; her soft lips against his, her hands on his neck, the feel of her skin under his fingertips and the sweet scent of her hair. All that, and the fact that he could never have her. It was all more than he could bear.

"Then why are you so grumpy?"

"I only think that—"

Suddenly the door burst open and Page entered together with that Elliot-boy. "We've got trouble."

"What?" Walter asked. "What kind of trouble?"

"Kidd, Glen and Giles are missing," Page said. "Reaver's got them."

"How do you know—"

"Who else could it be, _Captain Finn_?" Page roared. She was upset, to say the least.

Ben clenched his jaw, and did not reply. Page was… well, Page was Page. He didn't argue with Page.

"Where's the Hero?" Page asked.

"I bet she'll be here any minute," Walter said. "If not, I suppose she's still with Tara."

"We need her here now," Page muttered.

"I could go and fetch her," Elliot said.

"No, Peter, you stay here," Page ordered. "I don't want anyone else taken."

Ben met Elliot's eyes, and they shared the same thoughts; Page didn't know who Elliot truly was, and if she did, she'd kill him. A smirk spread across Ben's face. One word from him, and Elliot's head would roll. That boy irritated him more than he dared to admit. He could kill him, himself, no problem.

"Let's wait, just a couple more minutes," Walter said. "She should be here any minute. Where else would she be?"

Page muttered and folded her arms. Elliot kept eye contact with Ben, and Ben kept his smirk upon his lips. It didn't take more than a minute until there were voices from the outer chamber, and Princess Andrea came walking into the main chamber. Ben tore his eyes from Elliot to look at the young girl. She looked tired, and ashamed. But as she met his gaze, he knew. She didn't remember what had happened. He clenched his jaw. He couldn't be mad at her now, because she didn't even know what she had done! Or what he had done… however, it only made him want her more. Once again, she seemed to be this innocent, little girl, but he knew otherwise. Oh, he knew what she could do. He knew exactly what she could do.

"I'm sorry," she breathed. "Did I interrupt?"

"No, child!" Walter chuckled. "We were waiting for you!"

"Oh…" She didn't seem too happy about that fact, or, she seemed rather terrified, but she took a seat by one of the tables.

"Finally!" Page said. "Now, Reaver has a masquerade coming up, and if I know Reaver right, he's saving Kidd, Glen and Giles for the entertainment."

"Entertainment?" Elliot asked, terror in his voice.

Page gazed at him. "He will kill them."

"What's going on?" Andrea asked.

"I will need your help, Princess," Page continued. "We're going to crash his little party."

Silence spread through the room as everyone tried to process this extremely risky plan. The first one to speak was Andrea herself.

"Okay," she said and nodded.

Ben flew up from his seat. "Are you mad? You can't—crashing Reaver's party would be insane. Why? Because he's expecting that. Say what you want about Reaver, but he's a clever man. Themost obviousis the_ least_ expected. So, I say we swarm the place, Resistance-style, take back the three men and go back into hiding. Create chaos so that they won't know what is happening. It's so obvious, it'll be a total surprise!"

"That's a stupid idea," Page spat.

"Better than the two of you going in there alone," Ben growled.

"Now, I'm with Ben on this one," Walter said. "Reaver is not to play with."

Page clenched her jaw. "I know Reaver better than any of you."

Ben rolled his eyes. "I know him well enough to know how he works, and it would be mad—"

"Reaver knows we're coming, and he is making a game out of_ how_," Page roared. "Now, I don't care about what you think, because it's not your men in there, it's _mine_. I will not risk their lives to create _chaos_!"

"You won't risk—"

"I'm with Page," Andrea suddenly said. "There's no reason to risk so many lives. It's better if just the two of us go there. We can be more subtle than a whole army of revolutionists."

Ben gazed at her. Was she mad? "No! No—Princess, this is madness!" He turned towards her. "You don't know who you're dealing with!"

"Ben, I'm a Hero," Andrea growled. "I know what I'm doing."

Ben growled. No, no, she didn't know what she was doing! "Fine," he growled. "But you know as well as I that this will end—"

"It will end with us victorious," Page said and glared at Ben.

Ben looked around. He tried to find back-up in Walter, but the old man was far too busy to study the map and to not scold Andrea for making such a reckless decision. "Fine," Ben growled again. "Fine." Enraged and disappointed, he left the chamber. He needed a drink.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Andrea sighed deeply. Her head was still throbbing, and the argument didn't make it much better. She didn't even understand why it was something to argue about. She now knew what she could do. Ben knew it, too, so why was he so determined that she couldn't do it? She watched him as he left the chamber, and she sighed heavily.

"Right," Page said. She then turned to Andrea. "I'll make up a plan. You should prepare yourself."

"When is this masquerade?" Andrea asked.

"Tomorrow evening."

Andrea nodded, and the group split up. Walter sighed and sat down next to her.

"You know, I don't want to sound patronising, but are you sure this is a good idea?" Walter looked at her with worry in his eyes.

"I'm a Hero," she said quietly, yet fiercely. "I know that now. I am my mother's daughter, and I can do this."

Walter sighed. "Andrea, don't be stupid! You have no idea what Reaver could do—"

"And he doesn't know what I can do," Andrea said calmly. "So, that makes us equals."

Walter sighed frustrated.

"Walter, I know you worry about me, but you don't have to," Andrea sighed and but her hand on her mentor's arm. "You have to trust me. What happened down in the sewers is something I cannot explain, but I felt whatever powers are in me. I could control it. I was brilliant!"

Walter looked at her. "I know you were. But you have to understand that I—"

"You promised my mother to always look after me, I know," she said. "But sooner or later, you have to let go and realise I'm not a child anymore. I can do this. I'm a Hero."

Walter looked away. "I… I guess I can't tell you what to do."

Andrea smiled wearily. "No. You cannot." She then rose to go looking for Elliot. She had to apologise, for whatever thoughtless thing she'd done. She found him in one of the chambers, sharpening swords and mending pistols. "Elliot?"

He snatched his head up, his eyes flickering around the room. "I—don't do that, Andrea!" he said. "You startled me. And call me Peter. You never know who's listening down here."

"I'm sorry," Andrea sighed. "Peter. I'm really sorry. For… for everything."

Elliot looked up at her. "What?"

"Well, mostly for last night", Andrea said and shut her eyes tight.

"Oh…" he lowered the sword he held in his hand.

"I didn't mean it." She opened her eyes and looked at him.

He looked at her in incomprehension. "Well," he said, rather surprised. "I'm glad to hear it."

Andrea sighed, devastated. "I hope I didn't say something… too bad?"

Elliot looked at her and raised a brow. "To be honest, you barely said anything to me last night after you had your drink with the captain!"

"What?" Andrea didn't understand… she was sure she had said something mean to him! It would have been so typical her! "I didn't… I didn't say _anything_ to you?"

Elliot sighed and shook his eyes. "I thought that—" then he looked down timidly "—I thought that you said you hadn't any feelings for the captain?"

Andrea was stunned. What did he mean? What had she done? "Elliot, what are you talking about?"

"Well, I figured…" he started, "I figured since you left with him, that… well, you know—"

"I did what?"

"You left with him last night," Elliot said. "You were rather intoxi—wait, you don't remember?"

She was bewildered. What exactly was it that she should remember, that she didn't? "What do you mean when you say that I left with him?"

"You left the tavern with him!" Elliot said, getting a bit aggravated. "You had a drink with him – well, a few drinks, let's be honest – and then you left with him." Then he snorted. "And judging by his looks, he didn't seem very unhappy about the fact that you seemed to be… rather easily persuaded."

Andrea gasped. She didn't know what to say. "Elliot, I'm so sorry… I didn't—I don't remember much from last night, but whatever happened, it's impossible that I could ever… Elliot, you have to believe me!"

He looked at her. "You are the Princess," he said and shrugged. "What you do is none of my business. I'm not authorised to tell you what you can and can't do, and—"

"Elliot—"

"—and you are not bound to me in any way." He swallowed and looked away. "You are… completely free to live your life as you please."

"Elliot!" Andrea breathed, tears thickening her speech. "Please, Elliot! You know how I feel about you! That will never change! You are my _betrothed_."

He looked at her. "It's just a word, Andrea. A word linking us before any of us was even born. Nothing says that we will marry."

Andrea stood breathless. Elliot didn't want her? "You… you don't want me?"

Elliot's eyes widened in horror. "Of course I do! I just—I just can't deal with the fact that… well, that you fight alongside someone like Captain Finn!"

"Enough about Ben!" Andrea cried. "I didn't—I couldn't possible have done anything with him last night! I just… wouldn't! You have to trust me!"

"I do," he said. "I just don't trust _him_."

"That's it," she growled and turned and headed for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Elliot asked.

"I'm going to give Captain Finn a piece of my mind!" she said and she stormed off.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben washed down his anger with a glass on whiskey, alone in the underground tavern. He couldn't get over Princess Andrea, and he couldn't get over the fact that she was about to risk her life, her _precious_, young life, just because Page had some unfinished business with Reaver. And that tall, muscular, dark woman… oh, she could very well take care of him herself. She didn't need the Princess to aid her. That beautiful, beautiful Princess… she didn't need to—

"Benjamin Finn!"

_Oh, look_, he thought sarcastically_. The _beautiful _Princess_. "What?"

"Don't 'what' me, Mr Finn!" she spat and marched up to him, angry like a crazy Hobbe. She stopped in front of him and pointed a finger at him. "What happened last night? And don't lie to me!"

Ben raised his brows, his glass half-raised, resting on his lower hip. With a sigh, he lowered it again and shook his head. "What happened, Princess, was that you learnt a valuable lesson; don't get drunk."

"What did you do to me?" she growled and narrowed her eyes. "You sick, _sick_ man!"

Ben's patient was running thin, but he kept a straight face. "I helped you. If that's a _sick_ thing to do, then I'm sorry. I won't do it again." He smirked as he took a sip of his beloved whiskey, and felt somewhat pleased with himself.

She stood silent for a short while before she spoke again; "You're lying."

Ben sighed and looked at her. "What do you think I did to you, then?"

"I don't know!" Andrea said. "But you're lying! Elliot said that you dragged me along, and—"

"Oh, did he, now?" Ben laughed and drank the last of the whiskey before he stood up, causing the Princess to take a step back. "Did your precious little Elliot tell you how drunk you were? Did your precious little Elliot tell you how you could barely stand on your own two feet? Did you _precious_ little Elliot tell you how he _didn't_ run after you to make sure you were okay?" Judging by her silence, he had hit her where it hurt. He laughed darkly. "He didn't, did he?" When she looked away, he clenched his jaw. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"You're just jealous," she said and crossed her arms and glared at him.

This made Ben laugh. "Jealous? Of _Elliot_?"

"Yes," Andrea said, with her usual, posh expression. "You're jealous of him, because Page likes him, and because I like him."

Ben clenched his jaw and felt how anger was growing inside of him. How _dared_ she compare him to such an insolent, petty boy? He was a _captain_, for Avo's sake! He walked closer to her, and she backed away, into the abandoned bar. It didn't stop him. He leaned towards her, resting his arms beside her, his face inches away from hers. "I could have any woman I want," he said lowly and eyed her. He leaned even closer, and he had to fight the urge to kiss her again. "That includes _you_, Princess, and you know it." He moved even closer, feeling her body against his, and he felt her chest move rapidly. He knew she could push him away if she wanted, but she didn't. She seemed too… frightened for that. Frightened and entranced. His lips were almost touching hers, and it almost seemed as if she moved her head a bit closer, towards him, like if she _wanted_ him to kiss her. It took all of his strength to pull away and smirk, and he couldn't be more pleased with the bewildered look in her eyes. He gave her a wink before he left the room, with her still standing by the bar, frightened and bewildered.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Andrea had to catch her breath. She hated the way Ben made her feel! Her knees were weak and her cheeks were flushed. Her heart was beating frantically, and the butterflies were going wild in her belly. That bloody captain! Why did he have to be so… so… well, so charming? And handsome? And so appealing to her? She hated it! _Hated_ it! She hated it, because she wanted him in ways she never expected! She sighed heavily and brought her hands to her forehead as she realised that the biggest mistake she'd ever made was to let Captain Finn into her life, because whether she wanted it or not, he had her around his little finger.


	8. Paper Faces on Parade

**A/N: **Yes, here's chapter eight! :) Pretty quickly, right? ;) Anyways, I don't have that much to say about it, really. Hope you'll like it!

Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Eight**_  
Paper Faces on Parade_

If there was something Walter had never understood, it was teenagers, even though he had once been one, himself. He knew that taking the Princess under his wings as his own daughter would be a difficult quest, but if Queen Sparrow demanded it, then so be it. Either way, Walter did care deeply for Andrea, and after almost fifteen years in his care, he now did look at her as his own daughter. And as a father, he would never let just anyone lay their fingers on his precious girl, and judging by the looks of it, there was something funny going on between Benjamin Finn and the Princess. Perhaps he was just imagining things, but the vexing feeling inside of him told him otherwise. It was the looks they gave each other every time they were in the same room; the looks he knew all too well. It was the looks of disdain yet desire, and he wished to Avo that it was only a transition phase, and that in time, it would pass. He wished to Avo that Ben knew better than to seduce such a young girl, and the _Princess_, none the less! He wished to Avo that Andrea was sensible enough to keep away from him. But for that whole day, the whole night and the day after, they gave each other those looks while they fought and argued with each other like cats and dogs. Even the _dog _had started to bark whenever the two of them clashed together.

On the night of the masquerade, the two of them rowed like never before.

"This is insane!" Ben cried. "Wally, don't you agree?"

"I am perfectly capable of doing this, Ben!" Andrea spat. "I am a Hero!"

"You are a _child_!" he spat back. "Unfortunately, the child that is supposed to sit on that _bloody_ throne, and I'm sorry, but I think that risking your life to save three, unimportant rebels is a bit rash!"

"They are not unimportant!" she cried. "If I_ let_ them die, then I've lost the whole Resistance!"

"Right, because the people of this city prioritise the lives of three men over the life of their _bloody _Princess?"

"Alright, that's enough," Walter sighed. He shook his head. Oh, he had been young and hot-tempered once, too. But those days were over. When did he get so old? "Ben, you told me yourself that we need to believe in her. So, let's just… believe."

Ben huffed angrily as he started pacing the room. "You know as well as I, Wally, that this is madness. We should go on with the revolution! Not get involved in Page's endless fight with Reaver!"

"This _is_ the revolution, Ben!" Andrea cried. "Don't you get it? Page is the voice of the people of Bowerstone, and we need them! As I recall, _you_ were the one who said that a people's revolution needed people!"

"And the throne needs a next regent," Ben said calmly. "I'm just saying that—"

"I don't want to hear it, Ben!" Andrea shouted, and Bernard barked wildly. "Hush, boy, it's alright. This is not your decision to make, Ben! It's _mine_!"

They stood silent for a while and glared at each other, both breathing rapidly. Walter felt uneasy. He wanted to tell Ben to get the hell away from the Princess, because he knew what thoughts were racing inside the blonde soldier's head, but he couldn't help the fact that he agreed with the scoundrel; as much as he wanted to help Page and her three men, he thought it was rather unnecessary that Andrea and Page was to do it alone.

"You are the most _ignorant_ girl I have ever met!" Ben sighed and shook his head.

"Well, I am the Princess!" Andrea spat. "Get used to—"

"Enough!" Walter finally boomed, loud enough to make Bernard whimper. "At the moment, it is as it is!" He sighed and looked at the two of them. "Andrea, you will go with Page, and Ben, you and I have to make arrangements for when Major Swift shows up."

Ben sighed angrily and Andrea smirked triumphantly.

"See?" she sneered. "A Princess always gets her way." She then left, followed by her furry friend, and Ben glared at Walter.

"Nicely done, Wally," he said before he headed for the door.

"Ben, wait," Walter said, and Ben stopped to look at him. "You are going with them."

Ben laughed. "Yeah, like our own Queen of Blades and her accomplice are going to accept that."

"They won't know you're there." Walter knew this was the only way to make sure Andrea would be alright. Ben Finn might be a scoundrel, but at least he knew how to master a gun.

Ben looked bewildered. "How?"

Walter rolled his eyes. "It's a masquerade, Ben! Use your head!"

"I know it's a masquerade!" Ben sighed. "But they will notice someone's following them!"

"No, they won't," Walter said and looked at him. "They won't, because you are good at what you're doing. Right?"

Ben sighed and clenched his jaw. Walter waited in anticipation for Ben's answer. He would have done it himself if it wasn't because of his rather unique physique and the fact that he had a price on his head. Ben hadn't. At least not yet.

"Alright," Ben finally said. "I'll do it." Then he walked towards the door. Before he left, he turned to Walter one more time. "But you'll fix the costume."

Walter laughed as Ben left. Oh, that lad had humour, alright!

**.:*Ö*:.**

Andrea was pleased with herself. To win an argument with Ben was always nice. The bare look on his face whenever he lost was priceless. And if she would be honest, winning was particularly sweet these days, since it was extra hard. He distracted her more than ever, and he knew it. Ever since their little chat yesterday, he had been extra difficult. And extra charming. She hated him.

She had to start thinking on something better. Otherwise she would go mad. She was heading towards the forging chamber again, followed by Bernard, hoping Elliot would occupy her for a moment. She found him cleaning a rifle.

"Hello, Peter," she smiled.

He looked up, and a smile spread across his face. "Andrea." Bernard wiggled his tale and strutted up to him. "Hello, boy!"

Andrea put her hands behind her back and walked up to him. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I'm cleaning guns," he said with a sigh. "Apparently, Page thinks that's the only thing I can do with them."

"Oh, that's horrible!" Andrea said and sat down next to him.

"No, it's true," he said. "I'm rubbish at shooting."

"Well," Andrea laughed. "If it makes you feel any better; so am I."

Elliot laughed, too. "That actually _does_ make me feel a bit better."

Andrea smiled and bumped her shoulder playfully into his, and a faint shade of pink spread upon his cheeks.

They started talking, about everything, and eventually, Andrea forgot everything about Benjamin Finn, because all she could focus on was childhood memories and pretend adventures Elliot and she would go out on. Time seemed pointless when they were together, and she couldn't remember laughing as much for two whole months. She remembered now why she loved him so; Elliot was her saviour, her refuge. Elliot was her rock is the raging storm. No, he may not have been as strong and manly as Ben, but he was kinder, sweeter and he knew Andrea better than anyone. He was perfect.

"Andrea," he suddenly said and looked at her. "Andrea, there's something… there's something I have wanted to do for quite some time now."

Andrea smiled a bit suspiciously. "What?"

He took a deep breath before he surprised her greatly by pressing his lips against hers. She didn't know what to do, but she didn't pull away. There was a strong sense of honesty in his kiss, and his warmth, and Andrea couldn't help but to feel flattered. He brought his one hand to her cheek as he worked his lips against hers. She answered it, sort of, just to figure out how she really felt about it. It was… comfortable. Not forced or rough, but sweet and comforting. And somehow, strangely familiar… quite peculiar, because she knew she had never kissed anyone before, and even more peculiar was the fact that she felt as if it was somehow disappointing. There was something missing. She couldn't understand what, because it was all there! What more could there be? But there was something missing; a spark. A fire. There was no fire, and as the realisation hit her, something inside her died. She knew now that whatever she and Elliot had, it didn't involve the feelings she first thought. She loved Elliot, but was she really _in love_ with him? She had been so certain, but now, she felt as if she couldn't be certain about anything anymore.

They broke the kiss, and Andrea decided to keep her doubts to herself. She didn't care. She didn't care that there was no fire. Elliot was her best friend in the entire world, and no one knew her as well as he did. She simply couldn't break his heart. They looked at each other, and his brown eyes were filled with ecstasy and euphoria. He smiled, and Andrea smiled back, though not as widely as he. He then grabbed her hands and went down on one knee. Andrea gasped. She knew exactly what that meant. Her heart raced, and she didn't know what to do.

"Andrea of Albion," he started, and Andrea had lost her ability to speak, and she was sure all her blood had been drained from her face. "I have never, ever met a more amazing woman in the whole of my life. I love you. I _love_ you, Andrea! And I would be more than happy to be the one to stand by your side, in times of need and in times of despair, if you will have me…?"

Andrea stared at him. She couldn't believe this was happening. Ever since the first time they met, she had dreamed about this very moment, and now, when it was finally here, she didn't know what to answer. Three months ago, she would have accepted, without a doubt. Three months ago, Logan had already set a date for their wedding, but now…

She took a deep breath. "Elliot, I—" A loud rapping on the door made her jump, and the door swung open. Ben entered, his face unreadable.

"Major Swift has arrived," he announced. "He wishes to see you in the main chamber, Princess." He twitched his head, as some kind of awkward nod, and then left the room.

Andrea looked at Elliot. She opened her mouth to speak, but as nothing came out, she closed it again.

"I understand," Elliot said and nodded. "Do what you have to do. My offer will stand."

She gave him an iffy smile before she took his hand to squeeze it lightly and then she left towards the main chamber. Honestly, she was almost relieved to leave Elliot behind. It was all too much for her now. She couldn't focus on her quest. Not when Ben was teasing her, and certainly not when Elliot had proposed to her. As she entered the main chamber, the tall, slender, moustachioed Major turned towards her from talking to Ben and Walter. He smiled widely, his smoking pipe in his hand.

"Princess!" he said. "How good to see you!"

"Major Swift," she smiled and nodded.

"I hope Ben here has been helpful," the Major said and patted the soldier on the shoulder.

Andrea met his eyes, and was taken by their sudden seriousness. Was it because Major Swift was there? She didn't know. But there was something different about him, and she couldn't figure out what. "Yes," she said, iffily. "Very helpful."

"Good, good," the Major said and nodded.

Page suddenly entered the chamber. She huffed and looked at Major Swift. "More soldiers?"

"Ah, you must be the lovely Page!" Major Swift smiled and looked at her.

"Yes," Page said, utterly sceptical. "Who are you?"

"I'm terribly sorry for my intrusion, but as we are allied with the Princess here, I only found it fair to make myself known to the rest of the Resistance; I go by Major Swift, of the Swift Brigade." He bowed. "What an honour to meet you, Miss Page."

Page looked sceptical, but not even she could deny the much polite tone the Major used, and accepted his presence, though very reluctantly. "Very well," she muttered and turned to Andrea. "Here is your costume for tonight." She handed over a cotton bag, and then turned to the rest of the men.

"Where's mine?" Ben asked, but Page raised an eyebrow. "What? I still can't come? Not even after the three Hollow Men story?" His tone was jeering, and clearly an attempt to lighten something up. Although, Andrea couldn't figure out what. "Honestly, this is as bad as the army!" Major Swift , Ben and Walter all laughed together, while Andrea and Page looked sceptical.

"Now, everyone out!" Page ordered and rolled her eyes. "We have a party to dress for."

"Well, I'm off to the castle to report to King Logan, and perhaps, if I'm lucky, I could get some more information. I am not particularly happy about the storming of Hollow Men… and the lack of support from the castle." He smoked his pipe and then looked at Ben. "Are you coming with me, Ben?"

Ben looked at Swift and then at Walter and then back at Swift. "I—sorry Swifty; can't."

"I have asked Ben to help me with something," Walter said.

Andrea found it peculiar, but didn't question it. She simply couldn't ponder over something like that while Elliot's proposal still lingered in her head.

"Oh, very well then," the Major said.

As Swift said good bye to the "merry lot", as he referred them as, and left the chamber together with Walter, Ben smirked. "I'll… stay and make sure no one spies on you." He passed his pleased eyes between Page and Andrea, and Page sighed loudly.

"_Everyone_," she muttered. "Out."

Ben huffed and crossed his arms with a smirk. "You know, I'm starting to have serious doubts about our relationship."

Page sighed heavily and rolled her eyes.

"I know I should have gone up to the castle with Swiftie."

As he left the chamber, Page and Andrea were left alone. Page rolled her eyes. "I just _love _how soldiers can come in and out of our 'secret' hideout now." She sighed. "Whatever you do, please don't let Mr Finn follow you tonight. I've had enough of him for today."

Andrea chuckled darkly. Yes, so had she.

"However," Page suddenly said as she held up and observed the dress she was wearing to the masquerade, "I do have to admit that he is rather charming… in a provocative and annoying way."

Andrea clenched her jaw.

"I'm just so frustrated!" Page sighed loudly. "I mean, I am used to having men around me, but they have all grown to respect me as a superior! I have fought my way to the top, and the he comes along and treats me like some kind of _school girl_! It's—I—nothing has ever offended, and flattered, me so!"

Andrea nodded and said with a sigh; "Yes, he could have that effect on women."

"Oh well," Page said and stepped into her dress. "I know my place, and hopefully, so does he."'

"I wouldn't count on it," Andrea muttered.

Page didn't seem to notice that, though. "Princess, I hope you don't mind me asking, but… do you know Peter since before?"

Andrea bit her tongue. She knew Elliot had lied about his identity. "Well, I… yes. We played together as children. However, it was a secret. My brother wouldn't have appreciated his sister, the Princess of Albion, to play with a petty peasant."

Page nodded. "That's what I thought." She asked Andrea to help her with the lace on the back of the dress, and once done, she turned back to Andrea. "I think he likes you, Princess."

Andrea smiled iffily. "He's sweet."

"He is," Page continued. She then sighed. "Put on your dress. We have to make sure so one would ever recognise you."

Andrea nodded, and pulled out a gorgeous emerald green dress from the bag.

Page smiled pleased and crossed her arms. "It brings out the colour of your eyes."

"It does," Andrea smiled. Oh, how she had missed being dressed in fancy dresses, feeling like a lady.

**.:*Ö*:.**

He couldn't believe it. Was the Princess to marry that _prick_? No… no, it couldn't be true! He sighed, feeling how his heart sank at the thought of it. Of course she would marry him. He recalled the first time he had truly spoken to Andrea, at the Mourningwood Fort, that night she couldn't sleep. He knew then that she loved him, that _Elliot_. He just… he just didn't want to believe it. Even though he had deliberately interrupted them earlier, he knew her answer. _But what did you expect, you old sod?_ He mused to himself. _Did you expect her to exclaim her eternal love for _you _of all people?_ He always knew it would end like this, but he never thought he'd react as strongly as he did. It wasn't like he'd know her for long. She was just… well, she was special. But who was he kidding? Of course she would never feel anything for old Captain Finn. Twelve years older, a scoundrel and a petty Captain… no, why had he even thought that thought?

"Ben!"

He was snatched back to reality by Walter. "Yes?"

"Here's your costume," Walter said and handed over a bundle of clothes. "It's nothing special, but good enough to use as disguise."

"They won't recognise me?"

"No."

Ben nodded and looked at the bundle. A hat lay on top, and it didn't take him long until he realised it was a pirate-costume. "Nothing special? Where did you _get_ this?"

"From the Royal Theatre," Walter said. "I know a bloke there whose hobby is to steal and sell clothes like these."

"And you approve?" Ben asked with a smirk. "Well, Wally, I'm impressed."

"Shut your mouth and get dressed," Walter muttered. "And for Avo's sake, hurry! You have to catch up with them!"

"Alright, alright!" Ben muttered and hurried to get changed. The clothes barely fit, since not that many in the Royal Theatre were exactly _soldiers_, and with the big, curly, black wig, the fancy, feathered hat and the eye patch, he felt sillier than ever. He looked at himself. He had never seen a pirate dressed as neatly as this. Not one. Although, the theatre hardly knew how _real_ pirates dressed. "Wally, I look ridiculous. And this wig are bloody uncomfortable."

"You look like Captain Benedict," Walter said. "Oh, and don't forget this." He handed over three black, sticky, hairy strips.

"What. Is. _This_?"

"Fake beard," Walter said. "Quickly, put it on!"

Ben sighed and fastened the strips in his face, and placed two of the strips on his upper lip while the last one was placed vertically on his chin.

"There," Walter said. "You're properly disguised, and they won't recognise you. Now, go."

"You are going to pay for this, old man," Ben growled while he reattached his belt to his hip and hung the holster for his rifle over his shoulder. "Mark my words."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Walter smirked. "No, _go_!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" Ben muttered and left for the exit. "Skorm's bloody arse, I'm going."

As he walked through Industrial, towards Millfields, people stared, and some people laughed, but he had to suck it up and carry on. The Princess was in danger. Andrea was in danger, and he wouldn't let a silly costume be in his way.

**.:*Ö*:.**

"Names?" the guard said as Andrea and Page stood on the doorstep of Reaver's Manor.

Andrea and Page exchanged looks, but their masks helped to disguise their devastation. They hadn't thought about this!

"Didn't Master Reaver tell you?" Page started, putting on a flirty yet superior facade. "We are the entertainment for the evening."

"Aren't you a bit late for that?" the guard smirked and eyed them both with desire.

"Oh, not public entertainment," Andrea said with a flirtatious giggle. "We're Master Reaver's _personal_ entertainment."

"Oh," the guard said, his smirk disappearing. "Very well. Although, I wonder… why do you carry weapons?"

Page smirked. "They are only weapons if you see them as such," she said. "We, on the other hand, we see them as toys. Lethal yet pleasurable toys…"

The guard had lost his speech, and his knees shook. "W—well, ladies," he stammered and moved so that they could enter. "Please, enjoy the party. And…" he smiled iffily, "if you ever… well, seek your own entertainment, you know where to find me."

Page winked and then they entered the huge building. People were everywhere, wearing masks, just like they did. Music was playing, and people were dancing. They didn't know who the other was, and this resulted in irresponsible behaviour. Everywhere Andrea looked, people were kissing and touching each other in obscene ways, and everything she saw made her think about Elliot and somehow, Ben, too.

"Let's find Reaver," Page muttered to her. "And fast."

Andrea couldn't agree more. The faster she got away from this place, the sooner she could forget all about her twisted feelings. "Let's try upstairs."

"Good idea."

They headed upstairs, but everywhere they came, it was the same thing. Andrea found herself grouped by drunken men, and women, and on top of it all, she had noticed a taller man with long, black, curly hair, a feathered hat and an eye patch following her. And even stranger was the fact that his one, forget-me-not-blue eye that was constantly watching her was uncomfortably familiar. She started to feel the panic rising in her chest. She wanted to find Kidd and the others and get away as soon as possible. Suddenly, Page tugged her dress.

"Princess, in there." She nodded towards a rather tall gentleman with a top hat Andrea recognised as the same man shooting that poor worker. He was entering a room together with a party of fancy ladies and gentlemen, and Andrea and Page decided to follow. As they entered the same room as Reaver recently had entered, they found themselves in a long, dark corridor. As they followed it, they heard the music and the chatter decrease, and then they heard peculiar growls from the end of the hall. A door was placed at the end; dark and massive. They stopped to listen at the strange growls, and soon, terrified screams were heard, and they hesitated before they opened it, but as they did, they found themselves in complete mayhem; bloody, shredded dead bodies lay in the middle of a circled room, surrounded by both terrified men and women, and pleased men and women. Reaver was standing on a balcony, looking out over the scene with a smirk.

"Ah," he said as they entered the room, and all attention landed on them. "Here they are; our guests of honour!"

Andrea and Page looked around and noticed the eerily glowing eyes of some of the people in the room, and they automatically took a step closer to the door. Andrea's hand landed on the handle, but didn't open it. Slowly, the ones with the glowing eyes walked closer to them, blood dripping from their mouths, and hunger shining in their glowing eyes.

"Page, watch out, they're—they're monsters!"

Page gasped and looked up. In a cage, hanging from the high ceiling, Kidd was locked in. His face was badly hurt, and swollen, and he could barely sit up straight. "Kidd!"

"Page, my loveliest, and the… _gorgeous_ Andrea of Albion, of course," Reaver said and chuckled. "What a wonderful surprise. What did you think about my party?"

"You are disgusting, Reaver!" Page growled. "How _dare_ you?"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, darling," he said. "So, have you said hello to my new puppies?"

The ones with the glowing eyes suddenly transformed, out of their clothes, and into fully grown Balverines. Page gasped loudly and Andrea even pressed out a small shriek.

"No no," Reaver said amused. "Don't you worry; it won't hurt if you don't fight. Dinner's served, doggies."

There was barely a second for the two rebels to think as the Balverines charged at them and swung their giant, razor-sharp claws towards them. Both of them threw themselves rolling onto the floor, drawing their swords and started to slash their way through the herd of ravenous Balverines. The poor people led into the room for dinner were all killed by the giant wolfish creatures, even though Andrea and Page did everything they could to save them. Andrea felt how each blow with the sword hurt her arms, but she fought for survival, and just as in the sewers, a strange power was rising inside of her, and all of a sudden, she knew exactly what to do. She couldn't explain it, but it was as if the magic in her reacted on the battle and came to life, and she felt it spread all the way to her fingertips. With a twist from her hands, a wave of fire came flying out of her hands, towards a Balverine and burned the creature on the spot, and once the magic was released, the Princess was gone. The Hero was once again in the midst of the battle. Her strength amplified, as did her accuracy. Her magic was and remained her biggest asset, and she scorched many Balverines, until there was finally no one left. The two women stood in the middle of the circled, blood-splattered room, breathing heavily, making sure all the Balverines were dead, and looked around for Reaver.

"He's gone!" Page growled.

"Well," Andrea said, feeling how she slowly returned to herself. "At least we've got Kidd." She looked up. He was barely hanging in there, but he was alive.

"Glen and Giles then?" Page whispered. "They're not here." Andrea swallowed, and Page sighed. She looked up at Kidd. "Stay with us, Kidd! We're going to get you down!" A second, that was all it took, for one last Balverine to sneak up behind her and getting ready to strike, when Andrea pulled her gun, purely by reflex, and fired. Much to her surprise, the bullet hit the Balverine right between the eyes, and it fell down, dead, the haunted shrieks of its departing soul echoing through the circled room. Page swung around towards the dead Balverine, her chest rising and falling rapidly and her eyes wide opened. She hadn't heard it, whatsoever. She then turned back to Andrea. "Thank you," she breathed.

Andrea smiled and lowered the gun. "No problem."

"You really are different," Page said and grabbed her arm. "You and your brother are _nothing_ alike! I will stand by you forever, Andrea."

"Thank you," Andrea nodded. "Now, get Kidd out of here. I'll see if I can find Reaver."

"Alright," Page muttered. "But if you have to, only touch him up a bit. He is mine."

Andrea nodded and then took aim at the balcony. There were some ledges she could use to climb up, and she hurried to reach the balcony, not entirely without difficulties. She was a bit too short for it to go faster, but as she had reached the balcony, she discovered a hidden door in the wall. It wasn't more than natural that Reaver had disappeared through that door. So, Andrea followed. Another long, dark corridor awaited her, and she couldn't understand how the house could contain such spaces. At the end of it, there was another door. She pulled her gun before she decided to open it.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Now, getting into the party had been easy enough. Apparently, the costume of Captain Benedict had been intended for someone else to wear, and this someone was apparently a well known man to the guard, for Ben had been greeted with a "Sire" which was followed by a bow, and then he had been let in without further inquisition. However, his weapons had been taken from him, but as he apparently was a mighty "sire", they were personally taken care of by the guard, and Ben did not worry. The guard was too stupid to destroy them. Besides, he still had his flintlock inside his coat. Again, upon his enter, people had bowed and moved to give him space. A clever move from the old man, if it all had been planned, however, Ben guessed it as a lucky shot. Page and Andrea had also been fairly easy to spot, since they were the only ones wearing weapons (however in Avo's name they had succeeded to enter with those), and Princess Andrea was the most beautiful girl in the room. At first, he had been stunned by her beauty, and he realised he had never seen her in a dress before, more so such a nice fitting one. But after his little moment of drooling over the Princess, he had quickly landed in reality and continued on with his quest. He followed the two women up the stairs and watched them enter a door. He waited for a while until he followed them again, and this time, he was all alone in the long, dark corridor that door had been hiding. From the other end, he heard screams, growls, roars and the familiar sound of sharp metal slashing through flesh, and he hurried to the door. Now, here was where it all became tricky; he opened the door, only slightly, to get a glimpse over the situation and understood right away that the Princess, or the Hero, had things under control. They were doing fine, and they wouldn't notice his little intrusion. He managed to sneak past most of the battle, shooting only a bullet or two before he managed to climb up the balcony, and enter the hidden doorway Reaver had just disappeared through. Confident that the girls would do just fine on their own, he followed Reaver through the corridor, and as he stopped by the door at the end of it, he hesitated a bit before he opened the door. He had his flintlock pulled, ready to shoot if necessary. But as he opened, he found Reaver pouring a class of whiskey and looking up at the newly arrived.

"Ah, Duncan," he said, with a rather serious voice, before he hurried to close the door behind Ben. "I didn't mean for you to see that, old friend."

Ben didn't know what to say. He didn't even know who this _Duncan_ was, but apparently, he was an old friend of Reaver's.

"Wonderful costume, I dare say," Reaver smiled. "Captain Benedict. Yes, you've always had a thing for the richer pirates. You remember that… that… oh, what was his name? That… that Beggy-bloke, back in Bloodstone?"

"Rory Begley," Ben muttered. He couldn't be wrong, not as he was such a notorious pirate.

"Right!" Reaver laughed and took a sip of his whiskey. "Rory Begley… ah, that was some good times, wasn't it?"

"Indeed," Ben said, trying to sound as… well, as different as possible.

"What happened to your voice?" Reaver asked and chuckled. "Swallowed a duck? Well, now, I'll be honest with you, old friend; I didn't expect you to come here. I thought we agreed on meeting in the study?"

"Well…" Ben said and looked around, determined to play along. "Isn't this your study?"

"This is my _private_ study," Reaver said through gritted teeth. "Nevermind, let's get to it."

But whatever "it" was, they never got to it, because the door burst open, and the beautiful Princess entered with her pistol in front of her, aiming it at Reaver. However, she seemed utterly surprised by the presence of _two_ men, and was caught off guard.

"Well, well," Reaver smirked and eyed her. "Come to have a private party now, have we?"

"What have you done to the other two?" Andrea asked, her voice trembling, as was her hand. She couldn't keep her eyes off Ben, and he knew she didn't recognise him.

"Don't worry, darling," Reaver said and took a step closer to her.

"Don't come any closer!" she shrieked. "One more step, and I'll blow your willie off! Got it?"

Reaver's smirk disappeared, but he didn't look less pleased. "Oh, gorgeous, you won't shoot me. You're all out of bullets."

At this point, a plan was steadily forming inside of Ben's head. However, if he was going to be strong enough to follow through with it was another question, because as he watched the horrified expression on the young Princess's face as she realised Reaver was right, and as Reaver walked slowly around her, with hunger and desire in his eyes, to close the door behind her, Ben had to clench his jaw and curl his hands into fists to not attack the man. But if the army had taught him anything, it was the efficiency of the element of surprise.


	9. Traitors

**A/N: **Alright! Chapter nine! I'm actually pretty pleased with this chapter. I have never been that good at action, but this time, I think I did a pretty good job :) Oh, I know what you're thinking; "What action? What action?" Well, _read_, and you'll find out! ;)

Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Nine**_  
Traitors _

"Duncan, I believe Avo wished you to come here tonight," Reaver smirked as his steel grey eyes slashed through her flesh and soul, and Andrea felt her heart race. "I believe he has granted us with this delicious little treat to share." As he reached to touch her face, Andrea gasped and slapped him hard across his. He brought his hands to the side of his face, and as he turned back towards her, his eyes were changed. "You sneaky little wretch!" he growled and let the back of his hand fly across her face, so hard, the mask flew off her and she flung backwards, towards the other man, the man that had been following her, who caught her in his arms. She fought him, but his grip was hard, and as she looked into his blue eye, her heart took a leap. Could it be? No one but Ben had those blue eyes! But before she could make up her mind, he turned her around, putting one arm around her waist and the other hand around her throat, after removing her sword. She didn't fight him, partly because she was too shocked by her sudden hopes, and partly because she no longer had any weapons and her magic was too far inside of her to come out. No, she was completely overpowered, and if this man wasn't Ben, she was completely exposed to whatever cruel fate awaited her. Slowly, she felt how the man holding her, called Duncan, tightened his hold around her throat and forced her to move her head upwards as he brought his lips to the delicate skin right below her ear.

"Yes," he said. "Such a delicious little treat…"

Andrea's heart sank as she realised she didn't recognise his voice. Sure enough, it was dark and carried his characteristic tone, but it wasn't his. And why would it? What would Benjamin Finn do here? Was she so bloody spoiled by him always being there, saving her, that she imagined things?

"Just like old times," Reaver purred and walked closer.

"Just… like old times," Duncan repeated and planted a kiss below her earlobe.

"No!" she gasped and started fighting back, but the more she fought, the harder his grip became, and he moved his lips along her throat and her jaw. "No, _stop_ it!" But he didn't stop. However, he did let go of her neck, but that hand travelled down her chest and back up and gripped her shoulder tightly.

He chuckled darkly and looked up towards Reaver. "Well, my friend, who would I be if I didn't let you start?" He shoved her into Reaver's chest, and she felt like a ragdoll, tossed between one pair of strong arms to another, without the slightest chance of fighting back with results. Reaver grabbed her arms and smirked down upon her.

"To be the first to ravish this delicate little blossom?" he smirked amused. "Oh, I consider that a Royal Honour."

He eyed her hungrily and scornfully, and in those grey eyes, she saw her last moments in this life, violated and murdered by the hands of someone who was once a loyal ally to the crown.

**.:*Ö*:.**

His heart was racing. He was exceeding his own expectations of keeping a straight face. But, even though he knew he was the one who handed the Princess over to Reaver, he couldn't help but to feel incredibly disturbed by the fact that Andrea, that young, beautiful and fragile creature, was at that very moment being touched by Reaver of all scum. But all he could do was to clench his jaw, put on a fake smirk and wait. He knew that facing an armed Reaver would be pure foolishness. Even though Ben was a Master of Skill, he was no Hero, which Reaver unfortunately happened to be. It pained him, almost killed him, to hear the desperate cries of the Princess as Reaver tore her dress and forced her down on the bed. But it was all necessary, because when Reaver, consumed by lust and desire, made the fatal mistake of placing his Dragonstomper .48 on the buffet, Ben seized the moment and grabbed it and aimed it at Reaver's head before he could place himself on top of the frightened girl. "Don't you dare."

"Duncan?" Reaver asked, his voice doubtful and somewhat terrified. He looked towards the buffet but as he realised the pistol at his head was _his_ pistol, he raised his hands. "Let me have a guess," he said bitterly. "You're not Duncan?"

"Correct," Ben said coolly. "Now, step away from the bed."

Reluctantly, Reaver did as told, and turned towards Ben with his hands behind his head. "Cheeky."

Without taking his eyes off of Reaver, he reached out for Andrea. "Come on, Princess, let's get you to safety."

"Ben? Ben, it's it really you?" she gasped, and he nodded.

"Captain Benjamin Finn," Reaver muttered. "I should have known. It's been a long time since I saw my friend, but Sir Duncan has never been even _close_ to that chubby."

Ben was almost offended. Chubby? Him? It was all _muscles_, for Avo's sake! But, now was not the time for vanity. Andrea pressed herself close to him after grabbing her gear. Ben then emptied the Dragonstomper on bullets and threw it out the window facing the woods.

"Logan wouldn't be very happy if he heard about this, Andrea dear," Reaver said.

"Tell Logan if you wish," Ben said. "And while you're at it, tell him that his time is up." With that he turned, Andrea still clinging around his waist, and left. They walked through the dark corridor, through the Chamber of Death, through the other corridor, through the upper floor, down the stairs, through the first floor and out through the door. The guard was still holding on to Ben's things, and as he grabbed them, the guard muttered "Sire" as he bowed again, and Ben hurried away with the Princess to somewhere they could talk. He stopped behind an abandoned house, letting Andrea lean again the wall. She was still breathing heavily, and her face was paler that usual. Ben sighed and removed the fake beard, the hat, the eye patch and the uncomfortable wig. The Princess looked up at him with her widened eyes, bewildered. "Don't start on me," he muttered while he took his coat off to put in around Andrea and her torn dress.

"I… I can't believe it's actually you," she whispered, and tears started to build up in her eyes. "I thought—I thought I was—I thought I was going to die!" The tears escaped her eyes, and she leaned against his chest, silently crying in both relief and horror.

Ben didn't know what to do. Should he hold her? Should he tell her it was all going to be alright? Finally, he decided to at least put his hands on her back, hushing her while he rocked her back and forth. She grabbed his shirt as she cried, and Ben tightened his hold around her. Poor girl. Not only did she fall into the claws of Reaver, but Ben himself had not been so noble in there. But eventually, she would realise why he did what he did. He caressed her hair, and leaned his chin against her head.

Once she had calmed down, she took a deep breath, but remained leaned against him. "He's a horrible man."

"He is," Ben muttered. "And so am I. I'm sorry." She looked up, and her tear-streamed face made her look so young, and a knot of guilt was forming in his stomach. He sighed and caressed her face and dried the tears from her eyes. "I shouldn't have done what I did."

"No," she whispered. "You shouldn't have. But you saved my life. Again."

There it was, again, the urge to kiss her, the urge he _had_ to fight. He couldn't do it. He couldn't kiss her. He simply… couldn't. But again, she moved her head towards his, as if she wanted him to do it. He looked into her emerald eyes, and he wished – oh, how he wished! – that this girl was just a simple peasant, and not the Princess of bloody Albion! But she reached up for him, her eyes somewhat uncertain, but determined all the same. That was all he needed, that little invitation. He leaned forwards, and their lips were so close, they were almost touching. She closed her eyes, and he had to struggle not to attack her. But just as he was to close that tiny distance, two women walked past them, talking rather loudly.

"—and _Major Swift_ of all people?" one of them gasped, and Ben pulled back. Major Swift _what_?

Andrea looked bewildered as he let go of her and stepped into the light to address the two women. "Excuse me, ladies, but may I ask what's happened?"

"Oh, haven't you heard?" one of the women asked. "Major Swift has been arrested!"

Ben clenched his jaw and struggled to keep his posture. "For what?"

"I don't know, exactly," the woman said. "Mary, do you know?"

"Yes, Willis," the other woman said. "Treason. Oh, but now we have to hurry, otherwise we'll miss the trial! I've heard King Logan has a public announcement to make, too!"

"O, yes Mary, nothing is better than a bit of drama!" the first woman said with a gasp.

As the two women left, Ben abruptly turned and marched towards Andrea. He grabbed her arm and dragged her along.

"Ben, what's wrong?" she asked as she almost ran along his long strides.

"Your brother's got Swift."

**.:*Ö*:.**

Andrea was confused. She couldn't explain her metal state in any other way. She was totally and utterly confused. Everything that had happened inside Reaver's Manor, the claiming hands of Reaver himself, her absolute horror that Ben could do something like that to her, but also the major relief once she understood it was actually _him_… inside her head, the thoughts were running wild, and as she ran at Ben's side, she was rather happy that he was actually holding on to her, since she would have been unable to walk by herself. She couldn't focus on anything. So close. She had been so close to kissing Captain Finn, and for some reason, she didn't find that fact disgusting at all. On the contrary, a strange feeling inside her told her that that was what she wanted. And when she thought back on when he held her like he did, and when he kissed her neck like he did, even though she didn't know then that it_ was_ him, the hair on the back of her neck was standing, and not in a bad way. "Ben," she said, but he didn't seem to listen. "Ben, wait!"

"Sorry, love, we can't chat right now," he said through gritted teeth and kept dragging her along.

"No, but—please, Ben, wait just a second!"

He sighed and stopped, still grabbing her arm. He looked at her. "I don't mean to be rude, Princess, but _what is it_?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but as she saw the devastation and worry in his eyes, she closed it again. "Nothing. I just… you were walking a bit too fast."

Ben sighed again. "Sorry, Princess. Now, could we please go?"

"Yes," Andrea nodded. "Yes, you're right. Let's go."

"Andrea, wait!" Ben suddenly said as she started walking.

She stopped and turned. "Yes?" Her voice was filled with hope, but for what, she did not know.

"Wear the wig." He held out the black wig, and her heart sank. What had she thought? That he would sweep her off her feet and kiss her the way only a man like him could? But she nodded and took the wig and put it onto her head. It was heavy and uncomfortable, but it was probably for the best.

"How do I look?" she asked with a half-hearted smile.

"Not like you," he chuckled, also half-heartedly, and walked past her towards Bowerstone Castle.

Andrea followed. They kept a rapid pace, and Andrea still had to almost run to keep up with him. As they approached the castle grounds, people had gathered in the forecourt. They made their way through the crowd so that they could see what was going on. Logan was standing on the top of the stairs, looking out over the stone railing. His face was cold but enraged. Below the staircase, Major Swift stood with his hands tied behind his back. His face was badly hurt, and his shirt was bloodstained. People were throwing things at him, shouting foul things. Some people were shouting "traitor" and some were shouting "hang him". Andrea felt Ben tense up beside her, and she carefully wrapped her hand around his arm and pressed herself closer to him. She used her other hand to caress his arm, trying to make him relax.

"Yes," Logan said loudly. "_Traitors_ walk amongst us. Traitors plot to end us. Traitor would have you believe their cause is _noble_. They wear many masks. They may look like your friends. They may even look like your most loyal servants." Logan looked out over the crowd. "This," he pointed his whole hand towards the abused Major Swift, "this is the face of a traitor."

"Swift…" Ben breathed. He then let out a dark growl from the depth form his chest, and Andrea tightened her grip around his arm.

"Don't worry," she whispered.

Ben pulled his arm out of her grip and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Major Swift," Logan continued, "a respected member of the army and sworn servant of the kingdom, has plotted against us all." People in the audience gasped, and some shouted things even louder. Ben tightened his grip around Andrea, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. This was horrible. Logan raised his voice, "He was apprehended attempting to turn loyal soldiers against us, and is thus charged with espionage, treason, and conspiracy. Yet there are still others darkening our land with their betrayal. We shall hunt these traitors down, wherever they may be. And they shall suffer the same fate as Major Swift." The crowd gasped as a shot was fired towards Major Swift's head, and Andrea gasped loudly as it hit, and tuned her head against Ben's chest. "The fate of_ all_ enemies of the crown!"

There was commotion amongst the audience and Logan turned on the spot and returned to the castle. People started shouting at each other, both in anger and panic, and there were even fights starting between people.

Ben breathed heavily before he once again dragged Andrea along with him, away from the crowd. "He has to be stopped. No matter what it takes! He has to be—he… come on. We need to tell the others!"

Andrea nodded, and this time, she actually had to run to keep up, and the dress wasn't the best of attire to wear for a run. Besides, the coat she was wearing was far too big, and it made it even harder to keep up. Once they reached the headquarters, the news had already reached them, and they were all whispering to each other, pacing around the room. Andrea kept her eyes on her feet as they hurried through the chambers, and removed the heavy wig. The survivals of the Swift Brigade were gathered in one of the chambers, and they were all sitting in silence with their heads down. Private Gould looked up, and at the sight of Ben, he notified the others and they all saluted Ben and mumbled "Captain" as he and Andrea passed through the chamber. Ben stopped and looked at Gould.

The soldier nodded in grievousness. "I'm so sorry, sir. What a terrible way to go. I swear my alliances to you, Major Finn."

Ben put his hand on the soldier's shoulder. "You are getting ahead of yourself, Gould. I'm still only Captain." He then sighed and looked at all the soldiers. "A great man died tonight. Swift had a vision; that no man, woman or child in the whole of Albion would walk the streets in fear. Let us fight for this cause, if not for Albion, then for Major Swift. Let us fight, so that at least _one_ great man didn't die in vain." Andrea could see him blink away tears as he looked up towards the ceiling and mumbled; "Swiftie, wherever you are, I salute you." He then sighed and looked at Gould. "Where's the others?"

"In the main chamber," Gould answered. Then he looked at Andrea and bowed deeply. "They're waiting for you, your Highness."

Andrea nodded. "Thank you, Gould."

"Right, come on," Ben said and walked towards the main chamber. Andrea followed. When they entered, Walter and Page stood by the map table, talking lowly to each other. When they heard them arrive, they looked up.

"Ben," Walter said and straightened. "We heard." Then he sighed. "Swift was a good friend. He died like a true soldier."

"Ha!" Ben said darkly as the two of them joined them by the table. "A true soldier? Let's not pretend like there was anything _noble_ about the way he died! He was tortured, humiliated and murdered."

"And he didn't give Logan anything, or we'd be dead by now," Walter said. "I call that noble."

Page sighed. "It was just a matter of time before Logan did this," she said bitterly. "Before he decided to hunt us down. We have to fight back."

"We're still not ready, though," Walter said. "We need more allies."

"Aurora," Ben muttered.

"What?" Andrea asked.

"Aurora," Ben repeated. "Swift always went on and on about Aurora." He sighed and looked around at the other three. "Every time he complained about Logan, he brought up Aurora, and how he still believed them to hold a grudge against the King."

"I still don't understand how anyone there could help us," Page said and crossed her arms. "Aurora is a dead land! There's nothing there!"

"Or at least, that's what we've been told," Walter said.

"Swift was convinced," Ben said.

"And, it's still the only lead we have," Walter nodded.

Ben sighed restlessly. "Could we please get on with the plan? I've got an overwhelming urge to shoot someone."

Andrea put her hand on his arm, wishing him to calm down. To get upset was not going to bring Swift back.

"Right," Walter said and sighed. He knitted his brows as if he was thinking hard. "First, we're going to need a ship." He looked around, and his eyes rested on Andrea. "You and Ben will get hold of one, while Page and I make sure the rest of the fleet doesn't follow."

Andrea took a deep breath and then nodded.

"You'll need to go via the back alleys," Page said, and then looked at Ben. "And they'll be crawling with soldiers."

"What place in Bowerstone won't?" Ben asked darkly. "Oh well, it's not a problem. I know my way around the place." Then he looked at Andrea. "Go and get ready. I'll meet you at the back of the sewers." Then he looked around. "We're going to show Logan just what _traitors_ can do." And with that, he marched out of the room.

Andrea sighed and looked at Walter and Page. "He isn't taking this very well, is he?"

"No, and I never expected him to," Walter said. "Swift was his mentor. Ben… well, he hasn't had the best of lives. I was there when Ben first met Swift, as a troubled young man caught up in criminality. Swift gave him a place in this world, a purpose." He then sighed. "Andrea, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid tonight."

She nodded, even though she couldn't promise anything. If Ben wanted to go ballistic, what then could she possibly to about it?

"Alright, let's get going," Page said. "We have to hurry now. Logan has probably sent his soldiers out to turn the whole city upside-down for us."

Andrea nodded, and then Page left to gather her men. Walter looked at her.

"Whose coat is that?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.

"You should know," Andrea said. "You sent him." Oh, of course she had figured it out. Walter was all too overprotective to ever let her face a man like Reaver without back-up. "And thank you." She smiled.

Walter nodded. "I'm sorry I did it behind your back, Andrea, but neither you nor Page would accept him coming with you."

"I know," she said. "Truth is, we—well_ I_ misjudged Reaver. I made a mistake, and if you hadn't sent Ben, I… probably wouldn't be here now."

"Neither would Ben," Walter said. "I think Avo was watching over us all tonight."

"Except for Major Swift," Andra said silently and walked to the table where she had placed her clothes. She grabbed them and gave Walter one last look before she left the chamber to find somewhere to change her attire.

**.:*Ö*:.**

It had been a beautiful afternoon when they docked in Bowerstone from their journey home from Samarkand. Boyd and Ulrich had already called dibs on Eleonora and Angelina, the finest girls in Bowerstone Industrial. Ben didn't care. He wasn't that interested in going to Industrial anyway. Not after the exotic Alyssa. Nothing could compare to the exotic Alyssa. So, instead of indulging in the joys of the flesh like the rest of the crew, he decided to stroll around Bowerstone Market, take a few pints and then perhaps making the evening a bit more memorable to some lucky, pretty peasant girl. However, his evening did not quite go as planned, because their cargo had been discovered and the ship had been seized, and the crew had already scattered, some fleeing towards the docks in the hopes of getting aboard a ship, and some running towards Mourningwood or Silverpines. Since Ben had not been present when the news of their ship's confiscation had reached the crew, he had been left to deal with the guards himself. He had put on quite some show by knocking out a couple of guards and causing commotion on the streets of Bowerstone. But, he had been caught, believe it or not. However, the captain of the army had seen potential in the young Benjamin Finn; even though he had had plenty of opportunities, and even though it would have been infinitely easier for him, he still hadn't killed a single soldier. He had beaten them senseless, for sure, but he hadn't killed them. Captain Joshua Swift found this much interesting. Smugglers usually weren't that morally correct, and more than one soldier had died by the hands of Bloodstone pirates and smugglers. This showed that the young lad was either a coward or incredibly courageous. Swift wanted to believe the latter. So, Ben was offered a choice; enrol with the army or go to jail. Now, Ben wasn't stupid. He knew that enrolling with the army would be just as bad – if not worse! – as jail. However, being a soldier of the Albion Royal Army would at least bring the action Ben usually sought on a daily basis. Not to mention the attention from the _ladies_… yes, the choice had been simple. Turned out, he was made for being a soldier. He had climbed in rang rather quickly, and not more than three year later, when Captain Swift had become Major Swift, the title of Captain had passed down to none other than Ben himself. Finally, Ben felt a sense of belonging. His wages were lawfully gained, his bullets didn't longer penetrate the skulls of innocent people, but of Hollow Men, Balverines, Hobbes and nasty criminals. Instead of making the streets unsafe, like before, he was now one of the honoured men who made them safe. All this thanks to one man. A man that had been like a father to him and taught him morals and manners like none other.

And now, that man was no more.

Ben paced one of the smaller chambers, trying to fight his rage, his sadness and his devastation. Here, in the safety of closed doors, away from his men, he could allow the tears to fall. He had to stay strong in front of the other soldiers, be a role model to them. And on the outside, he probably seemed like it. But inside, he felt just as lost and lonely as when he was a young boy. Nevertheless, he had to fight it, and he had to fight it quickly. The Princess was probably already waiting. He stopped pacing, took a couple of deep breath and dried his eyes before he grabbed his rifle, his sword and his pistol and headed towards the exit. He didn't care for the grievousness and compassion the passing people addressed to him, even though he respected them, because he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. As he arrived to the sewers, Andrea was already waiting for him with her dog by her side, just as he thought. Her pretty face was distorted by a most anxious expression.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Ben sighed. "No, I'm not." He went past her, towards the exit, and she followed. "But I will be, as soon as I get to shoot someone in the face!"

As they hurried through the sewers, they emerged by a guarded gate, and Andrea suddenly stopped.

"They will recognise me!" she gasped.

"I don't think it matters anymore," Ben said. "But leave the talking to me. I have an idea."

They walked up the stair towards the gate, and as they approached the guard, he held his hand up, and Bernard growled violently.

"Stop!" the guard said. "Only Royal Guard allowed!"

Ben smiled and took a step forwards. "Oh, I know, but can I just say, wow, you look so stylish, you know, with the… the helmets and everything…" He saw in the corner of his eye how Andrea held her breath, probably thinking he was mad. And perhaps he was. "Me and my friend were wondering if we could join you, because, I mean, you just make us ordinary soldiers feel inadequate!"

"Leave," the guard growled.

Ben laughed. "Oh, come on! Don't you have any leaflets or application forms we could take with us? If we could just get inside and get your autographs! We are _huge _fans."

The guard seemed unaware of whom both Ben and Andrea were, and was clearly getting nervous and upset. "Leave, or we will be forced to terminate you!"

Ben clenched his jaw. "Ah… see? Even their vocabulary is stylish." Before the guard had had any time to react, Ben had pulled his rifle and shot the guard, right between the eyes. The impact of the bullet almost made the guards head fall off, and Andrea gasped loudly. "Now, I'm feeling better," Ben muttered to himself. He then grabbed the gate and forced it open, but the sound from his rifle had called for more soldiers, and within a second, there were at least five or six soldiers in their way. "Okay, I admit it," he said and he took aim, "I didn't really have an idea." Then he fired towards another guard. He could see how Bernard charged a guard, fearlessly, and even Ben felt a bit worried that the dog would come after him. Andrea kept the pace, and Ben was actually very impressed with how skilful she had become with her magic. He was almost jealous. She released waves of electricity and fire, and though she was not so good with the sword or the pistol, she didn't need them. Those she didn't kill with her magic, Ben was happy to _terminate _for her. Page had been right; even the back alleys were crawling with soldiers, and both Ben and Andrea had their hands full. Even Bernard seemed a bit overwhelmed by their cheer number, but kept on doing his thing like a fight dog. Though Ben couldn't keep from worrying about the Princess, he was rather relieved that she did so well on her own. It gave him an opportunity to bring forth his… well, his more murderous side without having to show any particular regard to anyone's well-being or feelings. As fast as the path was clear, they sprinted, until the next bunch of incompetent soldiers blocked their way. "Great," Ben muttered. "More of these tossers."

"How far is it?" Andrea shouted as she let her sword slash through an attacking soldier.

"Not far!" Ben replied as his fist crushed another soldier's nose. When the last soldier was down, Ben breathed rapidly and looked down on the body. "Let's get out of here. The docks are just around the corner."

"Right," Andrea nodded, and they continued their run. Finally by the docks, they met up with Walter.

"Walter!" Ben said. "What kept you?"

But Walter marched right past him, waving him off with his hand. "We have to hurry! They're going to be following us after all!"

"Does Logan never give up?" Ben cried. "What about Page?"

"She's staying behind," Walter said. "Someone needs to organise things here. Now, come on!" He looked at the ship. "Well, it's not much, but at least it floats. That's what counts."

Ben nodded. The ship was there, waiting for them. But Walter was right; it looked fragile, and by experience, he knew that a ship needed to be strong to be reliable. He looked over at another ship. It looked infinitely better. "Or, you know, we could take this one and then not drown as soon as we leave port."

"You're right," Walter said. "Even better. I've got a good feeling about this voyage!"

_Well, lucky you_, Ben though. _Because I don't_. Despite his doubts, he boarded with the others, and as they did, they could see how more soldiers were sprinting towards the docks. "Here comes the circus again," he muttered.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Andrea watched with horror as the solder's closed in on them.

"Andrea!" Walter shouted. "It's a steamer! Go down to the engine room and blast up a fire so we could get this darling going!"

Andrea nodded and sprinted below deck. She had no idea where to go or what to do, but as she discovered the engine, she understood how it worked. It was already filled with coal, and all she had to do was to cast a fireball for it to burn, and the boat to go. So, this was it. The final test. She knew she didn't have much time. She closed her eyes and focused all of her energy on the small ball of heat she felt in her chest. She let it spread to her right arm, and slowly a ball of fire was growing in her hand. Only seconds later, it was big enough to throw, and once she released it, the coal blasted into fire, and she took a deep breath. It took a minute or so before she felt how the ship started moving. She hurried up on deck, and saw that some of the soldiers had managed to get onboard, but Ben and Walter were already fighting them at full speed, and the soldiers were quickly falling into the water, one by one. As a result, they were getting a head start, and as the docks of Bowerstone became smaller by the minute, Andrea could breathe the better.

"They'll be catching up sooner than we think," Ben muttered. "It takes more than three people to operate a ship, even if it happens to be a steamer."

"Well," Walter said, "at least we're on our way."

Andrea sighed as she felt something furry crawl up at her feet. She looked down. Bernard had lain down by her feet, shaking with fear. "Oh, poor boy!" she said and bend down to pet him. "Don't you worry, boy! It will be alright."

At least, that was what she told herself.

For the next couple of hours, they were still all alone on the big ocean. Ben knew his way around a ship well enough for both Andrea and Walter to relax. He told them what to do, and when to do it. Finally, they all believed that they would make it. However, that kindle of hope was quickly put out as Ben shouted "ship!", and pointed towards the horizon. And yes, out of the mists came a ship, and behind it, a dozen more.

"Oh no!" Andrea breathed.

"Are you a good swimmer, Princess?" Ben asked. "Because I think that will be needed."

"Nonsense!" Walter boomed. "We'll make it! I know we will!"

But the fleet was coming closer still. And soon, they were right behind them. One of the ships had even run up beside them, and Andrea gasped as she saw the giant cannons that were ready to fire at any second.

"_Should we harm the Princess?_" she could hear someone shout from the ship.

"_She's a traitor!_" she heard another one call. And then, the word she dreaded more than her darkest nightmares, was called. "_Fire!_"

The ship was hit by multiple cannonballs, and she could feel how Walter took a firm grip of her. "Hold on, Andrea!" he called, but his voice was drowned by the loud bangs.

Somewhere in the chaos, she heard her dog whine, and she tried to get out of Walter's grip. "Bernard! _Bernard_!" She couldn't see him – she could barely see anything! – but she could hear him call out for her to save him. He was hurt! "Let go of me! Bernard! Ber—" The water hit her like a cold blast, and when she emerged to the surface, she took a deep breath. Burning pieces of wood were scattered around her, and she couldn't see anything but blazing fire. "Walter?" She yelled. "Ben? _Bernard_?" But there was no answer. There was only coldness. The water took a hold of her like giant claws that dragged her down. She was not a good swimmer. She was a terrible swimmer. She tried to keep herself floating, but her weapons were weighing her down. She sank, slowly and steadily, and when her head had been below the surface long enough for her body to object, circles started to cover her eyesight, and before she knew it, the coldness and the darkness had devoured her.


	10. Darkness Incarnate

**A/N:** Alright! So, the story's picking up speed, I've discovered. I can't sit down with any other project than this right now.. so, you might get the next chapter pretty soon (since I've practically already finished it, I just need to do some finishing touches) and have to wait for a bit longer before the chapter after that. However, I can't promise anything. All of a sudden, I've written like five more chapters of this one before I can concentrate on anything else.

Oh well, time for me to stop babbling.

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Ten**_  
Darkness Incarnate _

_Coldness. And darkness. The sun has not yet risen. Andrea sits by the docks, looking out over the moonlit water. Bernard sits down next to her and presses his nose against her shoulder. _

"_I know, boy," Andrea says. "I know."_

"_The Darkness is coming now," Bernard sighs. _

"_Mother was right all along," Andrea says. "First, it was my mother. Logan is next. And I'm after him."_

"_You think it's a family curse?" _

"_Worse," Andrea sighs and looks at her furry friend. "I think it's a regent's curse. I think that no matter who's ruling Albion, the curse will strike." _

_Bernard nods, and the scene suddenly changes. She is now sitting in the war room, flipping through the empty pages of a book, pretending to read all about Albion's history, but in truth, she knows there nothing to read. Logan paces back and forth, mumbling uneasily, whining and crying. _

"_Brother," Andrea calls. "Brother, what's the matter?" _

_He looks at her, his eyes darkened and sleepless. "The light inside me will die," he sobs. "The Children are hungry."_

_Andrea knits her brows. "Don't let them in, Logan. Shut them out!"_

"_Mother tried," Logan sighs, his tears hitting the floor. "See what that did to her." He opens a door. The familiar, hideous stench of illness and vomit hits Andrea in the face, and forces her take a step back. In the bed, a weak and puny creature lies, her hair white and her hands so emaciated, it looks as if only a thin layer of skin covers the bone. _

"_Andrea," her mother's weak, rasping voice calls. "Andrea, come… closer. I—I can't see you."_

"_I'm here, mother," Andrea says as she is standing right next to the bed. She reluctantly closes her hand around her mother's skinny, bony one and strokes her thumb across it. _

"_Is—is that you, Andrea?" the sick Queen says, her voice trembling. "I—I can't see."_

"_Yes," Andrea whispers. "Mother… mother, don't die."_

"_I am already dead, dear," Sparrow says and smiles, her voice now soft and sweet. "I have been dead a long time." With those words, Andrea's mother is no longer recognisable as her face has become a hollow cranium, and the rest of her skeletal body is so fragile, it is almost falling to pieces._

"_I know, mother," Andrea sobs, "but please don't leave me!"_

"_I will never leave you," the skeletal form of her mother says. "I will always be with you. Just stay away from the Darkness." _

"_What is the Darkness?" Andrea asks, but the scene suddenly dissolves, and she is now standing in complete darkness. A chilling laugh echoes all around her, and she covers her ears with her hands. "Stop it!" she yells, but the laugh grows louder. "Stop!" The laugh is almost overwhelming, and Andrea begins to scream for it to be quiet. All of a sudden, the laugh fades away, and a strong light starts to penetrate the dark. The light grows stronger and stronger, and eventually, it becomes so strong, Andrea has to shut her eyes. Finally, the light is strong enough to even penetrate her eyelids, and it's warm… it's like… it's like the sun… _

"Ben!" A booming voice brought her back to reality.

Andrea stirred and moved her arms. She was lying face down on something… something reminding her of wet sand. Perhaps it was sand? She dug her hand into her mattress, and indeed, it was wet sand. She opened her eyes, only slightly, and the bright sun blinded her. Her body was sore, and she felt how the sand on her back had dried and was itchy and uncomfortable. Where was she? What had happened? A flash of fire, chaos and water covered her eyes for a split second, and she sat up, even though her body wanted to disobey. Was everyone okay? Did everyone make it?

"Ben!" she recognised the voice as Walter's, and she was relieved that he seemed to be fine. "_Ben_?" Walter turned his head, and as he saw Andrea, he walked up to her and helped her to stand. "Andrea? Are you okay?"

"Yes," Andrea said hoarsely, realising how dry her throat was. She looked around. "Ben's not here?"

Walter sighed heavily. "No… looks like—looks like we didn't all make it."

It was as if the world swayed. Andrea had to grip a nearby rock to not fall. Ben was dead? No. No, it couldn't be. He couldn't be dead. She shook her head. "No," she mumbled. "No."

"I only hope…" Walter tried. "Well, maybe he washed up somewhere else. I'm sure that's it!"

Andrea nodded, afraid to admit anything else; he simply couldn't be dead. Not now. "Yes," she said. "Yes, he washed up somewhere else. He has to—he's alive. I know he is!"

Walter nodded. "Yes."

Andrea looked around. "Where's Bernard?"

Walter looked away.

"Walter!" Andrea demanded. "Where's Bernard?"

"I haven't found him," Walter said lowly.

Again, the ground swayed beneath her feet. Ben might have survived, washed up on some other shore, but Bernard… her sweet Bernard… he was defenceless! No one to feed him, no one to encourage him? He wouldn't last! And, what if he hadn't made it out of the water? The bare thought of her life companion sinking to the bottom of the ocean brought tears to her eyes.

Walter sighed. "Come here, darling." He pulled her close, and Andrea couldn't hold the tears back and sobbed against his chest, just as she did when she was a child. "Don't cry. Maybe he's with Ben?"

"And—and what if not?" Andrea sobbed.

"Then he died a fighter," Walter said and caressed her hair.

Andrea let her tears fall. She knew she would break someday, anyway, so why not now?

Walter held her for another moment before he sighed. "Alright, come on, Andrea. We have to get going."

Andrea dried her eyes and nodded. "Right. You're right."

"Well, the only way forwards seems to be through a rather ominous cave…" Walter said and looked towards the opening further down the beach. As they started walking along the dreary beach, and as the enormous cave towered before them, Walter decided to try to lighten things up. "Before we go any further, I'd just like to say one thing," he said. Then he took a deep breath and bellowed from the pit of his stomach; "BALLS!" His booming voice echoed in the giant cave opening, and Andrea tried to hide a giggle, but failed. Oh Walter… he would always be Walter. He laughed too. "Maybe we'll find something. You never know; it might be a luxurious inn." But as he said it, a colony of bats came flying towards them. "Bats," he said bitterly, "we found bats. That's great. Bats are exactly what we need right now." He sighed as they ducked and then continued into the cave. "What do you think happened to Ben? He's a strong swimmer. Probably reached a sandy beach somewhere. Palm trees… beautiful women… coconut cocktails… jammy bastard!"

Andrea didn't want to think about that now. If Ben was alive, then she didn't have to worry, but how could she possibly be certain? What if he had drowned? What if Bernard had drowned? She tried to push that thought away. It would do no good worrying about them now. It would only get her distracted. As they proceeded further into the cave, decayed buildings started to appear. Both Andrea and Walter looked around, amazed by what they saw.

"Is this it?" she asked. "Is this Aurora?"

Walter shook his head. "It… it couldn't be! Could it?"

"Page said it was a dead land," Andrea said.

"Well, Swift said it wasn't," Walter sighed.

As they walked further in, they realised they were standing on an enormous balcony. As they looked out over the railing, they saw a purple, glowing circle in the middle of the floor.

"What in the hopping Hobbes is that?" Walter cried.

Andrea shook her head. "I have no idea… it looks like a—like a barrier or something."

"Yes," Walter said. "It must be protecting something. Like the way out, most likely." They looked at each other, both with worry in their eyes, before they sceptically walked towards the staircase. "Well, I'll tell you one thing," Walter muttered, "we haven't got this far, haven't got this many people behind us, to end up dying on some forsaken, far-off whole in the ground!" They walked down the stairs, and a strange, buzzing sound escaped the glowing barrier. Walter walked ahead. Some feet away from Andrea, he sighed. "Wherever we are, we aren't the only ones who got stuck in this damn place." He nodded towards a skeleton, half buried in the dirt.

A bad feeling hit Andrea. A very bad feeling. Further ahead, there were even more skeletons.

"Not the most encouraging sight in the world, is it?" Walter sighed. "Still, they might have something useful on them." He walked up to the first skeleton and kneeled to search through it. "Why don't you check the second lot over there?" He nodded towards another skeleton, and Andrea reluctantly walked over to it.

She crouched down over it, and a knot tied in her stomach. She didn't like skeletons, for a bunch of reasons. She decided she didn't want to touch it all too much and let her eyes scan over it instead. In the dead, bony hand, there was a book, and around it, several torn out pages. She picked up one of the pages and looked at it. She knitted her eyebrows as she read through it. "Walter, I found something. A note; 'It speaks to us still. Darkness incarnate. We know now we can never escape it'."

"Well," Walter sighed. "That doesn't sound good." He continued digging around in his own pile, and then he picked something up, "Hey! I've got something, too! One of these poor sods left a journal. Most of the pages have disintegrated, but… well, you… you can still see plenty of weird symbols. It's mostly gobbledygook anyway." He held a book in his hand as he rose and walked up to the barrier. He laughed darkly. "I mean, listen to this nonsense; 'Luminous spirits of the sands; impart daybreak and gleam under a quiet moon'." He laughed again. "Oh… what's that supposed to—" Before he could finish his sentence a beam of light shot out from the book and the glowing barrier suddenly dissolved. Both Walter and Andrea gasped. "Look at that!" he said. He laughed, astonished. "Can you believe I did _that_?"¨

Slowly, Andrea made her way towards Walter. They looked down on the winding staircase leading down into total darkness. Andrea suddenly found it hard to breath. She was not that very fond of the dark, and this… well, this was very dark. And as soon as that barrier was broken, there was this strange heaviness surrounding them, weighing them down.

Walter moaned discontentedly. "It does look somewhat dark though."

"You don't say?" Andrea muttered.

Walter huffed and turned to her. "Maybe going down isn't such a good idea?"

Andrea sighed. "I hate it as much as you do, but this might be the only way out of here. It's either this, or the freezing water."

**.:*Ö*:.**

There was a whining noise somewhere around him that he didn't exactly recognise. And there was a smell he didn't recognise… it smelled of… incense? Could it be—was he in Samarkand? He stirred, but as he did, he heard a panting sound and something wet touched his hand, continuously. He waved his had to get whatever was on him, away from him, but as he felt the warm, soft feeling of a fur under his fingertips, he slowly opened his eyes. At first, everything was a blur. Someone was looking down upon him, and he squinted his eyes to see better. "Whe—what—" As his vision gradually became clearer, he tilted his head and saw a dog by his side. "Bernard?"

"You need to lay still, mister," a voice ordered him and he rolled back his head and looked up. An elderly woman was gazing down upon him. "Kalin, he's coming around."

Another woman joined the older one, and this one was bald with a thick, white stripe across her face, and he thought he could see blue tattoos on her head, too. "Are you strong enough to sit?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah," he breathed. His throat was dry, and he was thirsty. The two women helped him to sit up, and he found himself in an unknown room. Or, it was more of a… more of a temple of some sort. He tried to remember what had happened. He remembered cannons, and he remembered the ship sinking, and he remembered him searching for Walter and the Princess, but he hadn't found them. He remembered shouting his lungs out after them, but there had been no answer. He had then started swimming, and he swam, and he swam… and that was it. That was all he could remember. He looked around. "Where am I?"

"You are in Aurora," the tattooed woman, Kalin, said. "My name is Kalin, and I am the leader of the Auroran people. Who are you?"

"I'm…" His head hurt. It made it difficult to think. "I'm… Captain Benjamin Finn of the…" He put his hand on his forehead. "…of the Albion Royal Army."

"Are you one of Logan's soldiers?" she asked, her eyes filled with contempt.

Ben shook his head. "No… I'm not."

Kalin sighed relieved. "Then, welcome, Captain," she said. She then looked at the older woman. "Please, give him some water."

"How did I get here?" he asked and looked into the woman's luminous crystal blue eyes.

"You washed up on our shores," Kalin replied. "You must have been swimming quite a distance."

Ben sighed, feeling how his chest tightened. "Did you find anyone else?"

Kalin nodded towards Bernard. "Only the dog. Smart creature, by the way. He was the one who came looking for help."

Ben sighed again, feeling how he became somehow agitated. The older woman reached out a cup of water for him, and he took it, but didn't drink. He kept eye contact with Kalin. "Are you sure? Have you been looking?"

"I have had all of our shores searched, as well as any possible place for a body washed up from the sea to be lying," Kalin assured him.

"Is the anywhere else that someone could possibly have ended up?"

"The bottom of the ocean," Kalin said, and sighed heavily, "or…"

"Or what?"

She looked at him, her eyes sorrowful and horrified. "Or the Dark Shores."

Ben's eyes widened. "Is it far from here?" he asked. "Can we get to that place from here?"

Kalin shook her head. "No one goes there."

"But is it possible?" Ben asked and stood up, forcing Kalin to take a step back. His body was sore and his head hurt, but he didn't care.

"Captain," Kalin sighed, "if you enter the place where the Darkness dwells, you will die."

"So it is possible, then!" he said and felt how his chest was released. He hoped – oh, how he hoped! – that they had ended up on that shore! He couldn't bear the thought of losing two more friends. He started pacing back and forth, not knowing where to go or where to even begin. A good start would be to get properly dressed, though, since he was only wearing his trousers and his dirty, bloodstained shirt. "Where are the rest of my clothes?"

Kalin contracted her brows. "Captain Finn, you can't possibly go there."

"Why not?"

"The place is evil." Kalin's voice was sincere.

Ben stopped and looked at her. He sighed. "Is there any way of finding out if they possibly washed up there?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Captain, but the only way is through the Darkness, and very few survive that."

"Would a Hero survive it?" he asked.

She was bewildered. "Heroes? There haven't been any Heroes here since the old Hero Queen."

"Don't be so sure," Ben said. "Her daughter could be here."

Kalin gasped. "The Princess? Wha—what is she doing here?"

Ben sighed and sat down again. "She is the leader of a revolution. The Princess, Sir Walter and myself were on our way here to ask for you alleigances when Logan's soldiers sunk our ship, and we were separated."

Kalin looked horrified.

"Kalin, if the Princess reached that beach, we have to find her," Ben said, locking his blue eyes on hers. "This kingdom's future depends on it. _Your_ future depends on it."

Kalin was silent for a second or two before she nodded. "I will get a search party out. If she truly is a Hero, she would be able to make it through, but I'm not so sure she would be able to make all the way here. I'll tell my men to search the Shifting Sands."

Ben rose again. "I'll come with them."

"No, Captain," Kalin said. "You have to rest."

"I have plenty of time for rest when I'm dead," Ben smirked. "Now, where are my clothes?"

**.:*Ö*:.**

She could hardly breathe. The dark was pressing from every direction, almost shoving itself inside of her. Her whole body was shaking. Walter stood next to her. The shadows were gone, but the Darkness was still there, threatening with its absoluteness.

"_You're tainted."_ The disembodied voice mused, and Andrea felt the familiar sting of panic and hopelessness in her chest. "_The stain will never wash out. The sun will never shine upon you again. Tainted broken little toys_."

"What is this?" Andrea hissed terrifyingly. The words kept repeating in her head, and it was as if the voice had penetrated her darkest memories and brought them back to life.

"We're—we're alright!" Walter stammered. "We're going to be alright… come on Walter! Just hold it together!"

"Walter?" Andrea gasped. She knew the old warrior had his fears and his phobias, but she had never seen the man this frightened.

"Le—let's just keep going," he mumbled. "We—we have to keep going."

They stayed close as they moved through the darkness, with the torch as the only light. They moved rather swiftly, both wanting to get out of this place as quick as possible. The creature following them was like something straight out of a nightmare, and the shadows that were attacking them were like the spawn of Skorm himself. "Damn this book and whoever wrote it!" Walter growled. "The bastards! Why didn't they tell us what was down here? 'Darkness incarnate'… like we're supposed to know what that means?" He breathed even heavier, and Andrea feared he was having a heart attack. But he kept on mumbling. "It won't stop… it won't stop 'til it kills us…"

His words didn't exactly calm Andrea, and she reached out to hold his arm, to let him know that he wasn't alone down there. They approached a stair, and Walter gasped.

"Wait… I think we must be close to an exit!" he said, his voice filled with desperate longing. "There's a cold breeze… can you feel it?" He ran up the stairs, and Andrea followed, her heart racing. But once they were up the stairs, and a bit further down the path, Walter slowed down. "There's that sound again," he said and walked up to a large archway. "It's almost like—" Before he could finish, a massive breeze came from the archway and put out the torch, and the darkness devoured them. "No!" Walter gasped, and Andrea let out a small shriek. "Not the light! Not the_ bloody_ light!" He fiddled with his tinderbox as he muttered panicked to himself; "Come on, work, dammit! Those things are all around us! Come on, come on, come on!" And with that, the torch caught fire once more, and the light, though quite small, was more than welcomed. But as Walter made sure nothing had come close, he suddenly gasped in fear and battered the torch through the air as if he was fighting something.

But Andrea saw nothing. She breathed heavily and pressed herself against the wall. This was not something she had expected in going out on such a quest!

When he stopped, he looked around, fear playing all over his face. "Balls…"

"What was it?" Andrea breathed. "What did you see?"

But he only shook his head and backed away into the archway. "No, no, no, no, no… no, no, we have to get out of here!" he mumbled terrified. "You hear me?" He looked at Andrea who followed him further beyond the archway. "You hear me? We have to get out of here!" He breathed rapidly. "As long as we have fire we'll be alright. We'll have to keep walking and—and we'll get out of here… and we'll—we'll be alright."

Then, again like straight from one of Andrea's darkest nightmares, the voice was back. It boomed chillingly through the air, and every hair on Andrea's body was standing. "_We are coming_."

"It's here!" Walter shouted and started running.

"_We will devour your kingdom!_" it growled. "_There will be no bargains!_" As it suddenly appeared in front of them, as a mutilated, crouching creature with a deformed head wearing three faces, Andrea shrieked. But it disappeared as fast as it had appeared, leaving those bloody shadows attacking. But the voice still lingered; "_There will be only darkness. The Children command it!_"

Andrea tried to push her fear away so that she could let her magic through. She released a wave of fire, and another one, and another one. One after another, the shadows disappeared. If they died or if they simply disappeared, Andrea didn't know.

"Come on!" Walter shouted. "Let's go!"

"_It doesn't matter if you leave,_" the voice mused. "_We are inside you. Your heart, your lungs, your thoughts will all be blackened._"

"Andrea!" Walter growled and grabbed her to run.

"_Watch as your skin withers and falls leaving you exposed and hollow!_"

"Walter!"

"_Now do you realise how worthless you are?_" the voice laughed darkly as Walter and Andrea, panicked and terrified, made their way deeper into the unknown. "_How you've earned the shadows?_"

They were running for their lives through that darkness. Their hands were tightly locked around each other, and suddenly they both came to an abrupt halt as the creature once again stood in front of them.

"_Did the blind seer not tell you about us?_" it asked, though its mouth wasn't moving. "_Did she not warn you?_"

Andrea lost her breath. Theresa knew about this? Or was it all just a mean trick? Had it seen Theresa in her mind, as it had seen everything else?

The voice starting laughing, loudly and morbidly, and Walter covered his ears.

"QUIET!" he shouted as he threw the torch towards the creature, and as it hit it, the creature blasted backwards and landed on another ledge as it blazed up in flames and screamed and squealed as it sizzled and burned, and finally, it was quiet. "It's gone…" Walter breathed. "The bastard's dead and gone! And we're getting out of here!" He tugged at Andrea's sleeve. "We're going to be alright."

**.:*Ö*:.**

"Captain Finn!" Kalin sighed. "Captain Finn, you have to wait! You don't know what's out there!"

But Ben didn't listen to the woman in the small crowd behind him. He kept on wading over the thick dunes of sand. The sun was scorching and the air was dry, but Ben pushed onwards. He wouldn't stop until he had found them. Until he had found _her_. Bernard seemed just as eager as he was, and kept his nose on the ground, even though the sand was hot enough to burn him.

"Captain!" Kalin barked, and this time Ben stopped and turned.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but _what is it_?" he asked. When he saw the woman's worried eyes, he sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I—I just want to find her—them! I just want to find _them_."

Kalin shook her head, too. "Well, you want to be alive when you find the Royal Highness, I presume? Here, have some water."

Ben clenched his jaw in agreement and joined Kalin and her men. He took a sip of the water Kalin had brought, and then he dried his forehead with his sleeve. "How far is it?" He looked at her.

"Another ten miles," she said and looked out over the desert.

Ben sighed heavily. The heat was so intense, a haze blurred the sky together with the sand, and dissolved any possible sign of a horizon. The desert just seemed never-ending. He took one last sip before he kneeled and cupped his hand to pour some water into it and let Bernard lap the liquid. After another two handfuls, he stood up and gave the vessel back to Kalin. "Right," he said. "Come on, let's move."

Kalin commanded her men to follow, and they were on their way. None of them spoke, and the only sounds heard, except for the eerie and ghostly breezes that played along the dunes, were the shuffling feet of five men, one woman and one dog as they all waded through the blazing hot sand.

It was an exhausting walk, and Ben started feeling a bit dizzy from the heat. He had been forced to take his shirt and wrap it around his head. The others had hats, for Avo's sake! Why hadn't they offered him one? Well, they probably had, he just hadn't listened. But it wasn't only the sun that was taking its toll on him; the hot, slow sand made his legs burn, and he had never experienced having this poor stamina since he was a boy. He considered himself to be a very fit man, just as his choice of career required, but this was embarrassing. The Aurorans pushed through the desert as if they hadn't done anything else in their entire lives, barely breaking any sweat at all, while Ben was killing himself in this deadly, sandy hell. To his comfort, Bernard seemed just as exhausted as he was.

"Right," Kalin said with a sigh, and the party stopped. "There's a small shadow over there." She nodded towards a lonely rock standing a couple of yard away. "I suggest we sit down for a while, to gather strength."

"No," Ben said hoarsely and shook his head. "We need to continue. If the Princess and Sir Walter are out there, they might die in this heat if we don't find them in time!"

"If we continue now, we might die as well." Her voice was calm, but her piercing eyes was demanding, and he sighed.

"Fine," he muttered as they all headed towards the shade. And what a bliss it was. The cool sand felt like heaven as he lay down, and he felt how his body was still sore from his little swim. He sat up, leaning his back against the rock. The Aurorans were talking and laughing as they passed around another water vessel, and Ben drank greedily. After giving Bernard some, he passed the vessel on and sighed heavily. He wanted to find them. He wanted to make sure they were alive. What would he do if they weren't? Would he go back without Kalin and her people, and without Walter… without Andrea? As he thought about the young woman, the knot of guilt returned to his stomach. He had kissed her, unfairly and wrongly, and he had been awfully close to taking advantage of a drunken girl. And in Reaver's Manor… the way he felt as he touched her and as he held her, was impossible to describe. All he knew was that the feelings were forbidden. She was the Princess. She was not a common peasant girl he could have his way with whenever it pleased him. And if she ever learned about his dark, dishonourable past, she would find him even more repellent that she already did. If that was possible, so to speak. But if he found her, if he saved her one more time, then perhaps… then perhaps she would change her mind. She seemed interested enough that night in Industrial, if he was allowed to count that time. But what did all this make him? A completely normal man, or a sad and perverted bastard?

The sun kept on scorching the masses of sand around them, and they could almost hear it sizzle. Despite this, Ben sighed in relief as the party rose and readied themselves for another long, hot walk in their search for Albion's saviour.

**.:*Ö*:.**

"_This land is ours! Darkness shall spread across the world!_"

"WALTER!" Andrea screamed as she ran up to her mentor, her rock, and he was standing on his knees and hands, panting violently, the dark masses dripping off him.

"I can't see," he breathed. "That thing… it blinded me! I can't see!"

Andrea didn't even fight the tears and she threw herself on the ground next to him. "It's okay, Walter," she sobbed, "I'm here!" Using all of her strength, she managed to get the big man on his feet, and she gasped as she saw the blackened area around his eyes.

He put his hands in front of him. "We have to get out!" He croaked. "Quickly!"

Andrea nodded, even though she knew he wouldn't see it, and grabbed his hand and hurried down the steps.

That sound starting to fly around the enormous spaces around them again. "It's still out there!" Walter cried. "We need to leave!"

Andrea felt how her panic all of a sudden became worse, if possible, and her lungs were almost exploding of her rapid breathing as she hurried along the path.

"You can hear it too, can't you?" Walter asked. "It is there. I'm not going mad!"

"I can hear it," Andrea breathed, trying to sound calm. "You're not mad."

"I can't see anything!" he cried. "Take me to the light, please!"

His pleading voice hit like a dagger in her heart, and she held on tighter to his hand. She wouldn't let him down. And there it was; the light. A large archway towered in front of them, filling the long, dark corridor with light, and Andrea could cry of relief. She hurried even more, and the further into the light they came, the further away seemed the darkness to drift. They would make it. They would make it.

As they finally made it out of the cavern, they were hit by a hot, dry air, and the sun, that was very much welcomed, even though it was scorching hot.

"Are we out?" Walter asked, sounding calmer. "Did we get away?"

"Yes," Andrea smiled. "We're safe now."

"What can you see?" Walter asked.

Andrea looked around; sand covered everything, and the never-ending sight of it was not exactly encouraging. At least, it was light. "A desert…"

"I can feel the heat of the sand, but," Walter said, "whatever that thing did to me, it's like it—it sucked all of the light from inside me. I still can't see anything. Just… don't let go."

"Careful," Andrea said. "There's steps up ahead."

"Alright. Okay," Walter said. "I'm not sure—I don't know how far I can walk. Are there no signs of civilisation?"

Andrea let her eyes scan across the desert. "There's something in the distance... it looks like an enormous statue."

"How far?"

"It's going to take us a few hours." She tugged him along, but all of a sudden, he stopped.

"No, stop. Stop. I can't do this."

Andrea gasped. "Of course you can! Come on!"

Walter sighed. "I'm... I'm too weak. You have to leave me. Listen to me; I can't see. I can barely stand! I—I—I won't just slow you down, I'll get you killed. You have to go on without me." But she tugged him harder. "I'm no use, you can't save me! I'm dead weight now!"

"Stop talking like that!" Andrea growled, devastated. "We're going to make it through this."

"Why won't you listen to me?" Walter growled back. "You have to leave me behind! That thing left you weak too! Don't you think I could tell; what you have to do is too important to risk for an old wreck like me? Listen; you have to go on without me."

Andrea tuned to glare at him, even though he wouldn't see it. "I won't leave you here!"

"You have to!" Walter groaned. He panted. "I can't! I—I can't!"

Walter's weight became too much for Andrea, and as he fell, he dragged her with him. "Walter!"

"It's alright," he breathed. "It's all going to be alright. You have to be strong. Find—help."

"No!" Andrea sobbed as the old man closed his eyes. "Walter!" But he didn't respond. "Walter!" She rose and grabbed his arm. "Come on! Get up! Get _up_! _Walter_!" She tried to drag him with her, but he was all too heavy. As she released his arm, Andrea fell in tears and collapsed next to him, leaning over his chest. They were so close. So close… but she wouldn't leave him. She couldn't. So now instead of being devoured by the Darkness, the light would strike the fatal blow. How ironic.


	11. The City of Nightmares

**A/N:** Gosh, I'm tired.. it's 4 am in the morning over here, and I just finished this chapter, just for you, guys ;) There was a lot more left to do than I'd first imagine.. but now, it's all done! A word of caution; there's some heavy stuff in it, and I apologise more the massive parts of text. If you manage to read through them all, I will tip my hat for you! ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Eleven**_  
The City of Nightmares_

_It doesn't matter if you leave; we are inside you. Your heart, your lungs, your thoughts will all be blackened. Watch your flesh turn to black. Watch your thoughts turn to black. Watch your fates turn to black. You're tainted. The stain will never wash out. The sun will never shine upon you again. Tainted broken little toys. Watch as your skin withers and falls leaving you exposed and hollow. The light you bring will die. The light inside you will die. All that you are will die._ _Watch us fly into your heart; death beats its wings for you. Now do you realise how worthless you are?_

_No! _She fought with all her might, out of the Darkness's grip. She wanted to live. She wanted to live! _I want to live!_

_Death is not your destiny today, little sparrow._

She shot her eyes open, despite the blinding sun and despite it hurt like hell. Theresa's voice lingered in her head as she stared up at the sun. _Not die_, she thought. _Not today_.

Suddenly, a head covered the sun, and as her vision cleared a pair of forget-me-not-blue eyes gazed down at her, and a pair of lips smirked handsomely at her. "Taking a nap in the sun?" the lips pressed out with a gleeful tone and someone took her hand, and it felt familiar. "Typical royalties. You almost had me worried there for a while."

She gazed back at the face before her. Was it possible? Was it him? "Ben?" she croaked out.

"Don't worry, Princess," said the blond soldier softly and gave her hand a small squeeze. "You're safe now."

She could cry of happiness. She wanted to cry, but she was all too tired for it. "Walter," she finally breathed. "Where's… Walter?"

"Rest now, Princess," Ben said. "Leave Walter to us. We'll find him. He can't be far away."

She felt him his hand leave hers, and she wanted to object, she didn't want him to let go! What did he mean "find him"? Walter was there! Wasn't he? She hadn't abandoned him! She didn't leave him! Or did she? No, no she didn't. She wouldn't! She tried to tell them, but she couldn't. Her mouth was dry, and she almost couldn't breathe. She felt how hands picked her up and placed her on a stretcher, and shortly after, it started to move, and she saw the sky move with her. _No_, she thought. _No, don't leave without Walter!_ She took a breath. She wanted to tell them that he was there, that he was with her, that she hadn't left him. "Walter!" she breathed again.

"Don't worry, your Highness," a male voice told her. She couldn't see who it was, because she was too tired to lift her head.

"_Help over here_!" she could hear Ben's voice call from a distance, and she heard the shuffling feet of people moving away from her.

She closed her eyes. _They found him_, she though in relief. _They found him. Everything is going to be fine._

She let her body melt away into nothingness as the stretcher was carried away, and somewhere along the way, she must have fallen into some sort of a trance. She was asleep, but occasionally, she would open her eyes and see arches and flags, rooftops and windows. However, next time she opened her eyes, she woke up. She was lying on a bed, inside a building. The air was cool, and the only sounds heard were mumbling from somewhere in the distance. She then heard a dog's panting and claws against a stone floor, and she turned her head. Bernard… "Bernard!" she called hoarsely and sat up, not without difficulties. The dog wiggled his tail so violently, she was afraid it would come off any second. The dog whined in ecstasy and pattered his paws manically as his whole body wiggled together with the tail. "Hey, boy!" she breathed with her tears not far away. He was alive… he made it!

A woman walked up to her. She was bald and a thick, white stripe covered her face, and her striking, blue eyes reminded her of someone… "Your Highness, you are awake," she said calmly. "Good." She kneeled next to her. "My name is Kalin, and you are in the city of Aurora."

Andrea nodded. Then she gasped and looked around. "Walter?" She saw the old man lying on another bed, only a few feet away. He was still unconscious, and an elderly woman seemed to be tending to him. "How is he?"

"He is fortunate to be alive," Kalin said. "But we have seen his condition before. We might be able to help him."

Again, Andrea nodded. Then she looked around once more. Where was Ben? She knew she had seen him! It couldn't have been just a dream now, could it? When she came to think of it; that woman, Kalin, she had similar eyes to Ben's… could it have been—no. No, she had seen Ben. She knew she had. "Is there another of my friends here?" she asked and looked at the woman. "I thought I saw… in the desert—"

"A devilishly handsome soldier by the name of Ben Finn?" his voice suddenly said as he approached her. She looked up, and her heard skipped a beat. He was alive! He jumped up onto the platform where Andrea was lying. "Not dead yet, my friend."

The woman, Kalin, looked at Ben and then at Andrea and then back at Ben. "I'll leave the two of you alone for now," she said and rose.

Ben grabbed Andrea's hand and smiled. "I'm so glad to see you're alive."

Andrea looked up at him, feeling how her entire body got warm, and she pressed herself closer to him, leaning her head against his chest. "I was so scared, Ben!" she sobbed quietly. "That—that thing… it was if it dragged every horror and every nightmare I've ever experienced to reality, and presented it to me, forced it back to me!"

He hushed her and stroked his hand across her hair. "You don't have to be afraid anymore, Princess. I'm here. You're safe now."

She buried her face in his uniform and cried, her whole body trembling. "Don't let go," she breathed. "Don't let go."

"I won't," he promised. And he held her, safely and steadily. Really, what would she do without Ben?

**.:*Ö*:.**

The knot was still there, growing inside his stomach. She was hurt, and she was frightened, yet all he could think of was her body against his. _Well, that settles it then_, he thought bitterly to himself. _You're a despicable human being, Benjamin Finn! _But he couldn't help the satisfaction he felt by the fact that it _he_ who was comforting this fragile beauty and not that Elliot twat. He fought the urge to smirk, but lost, and it was a good thing the Princess couldn't see his face. He tightened his hold around her, not willing to let go that easily. But she didn't seem to mind. She pressed herself even closer and turned in his embrace to make it a bit more comfortable. Ben leaned his chin against her head and clenched his jaw. _So_, he thought. _I've played my first jack. Now what?_

But he was surprisingly answered by the Princess herself as she raised her head to look at him. "I need some air."

"Of course," Ben said, and even though he disliked it, he let go of her to let her stand. He offered her his arm, which she took. "Are you hungry or thirsty? They don't have much, but it's always something."

Andrea nodded. "That would be nice."

They walked out of the temple – or whatever it was – and found Kalin, talking to a villager. She turned towards them.

"How are you feeling, your Highness?" she asked.

Andrea nodded. "I'm well, thank you."

"The Princess would like a bit of food, and some water," Ben said.

Kalin nodded. "Of course. Here, let me help you, your Highness, and I'll see to that you'll be taken care of properly."

Reluctantly, Ben let Andrea go with Kalin, and he clenched his jaw. _Possession_, he thought to himself. _Get away from it, mate, before it consumes you_.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Andrea had gotten herself a hearty meal, a bath and some new, clean clothes. She felt calm yet distressed as she looked out the window of one of the guest-rooms in Kalin's house. The creature's voice still echoed in her head, and she couldn't push away the fact that it stirred disturbed memories from her childhood. She nervously fiddled with her nails as there was a knock on the door. "Yes?" she asked.

"_It's me; Ben_," she heard from the outside, and her heart raced.

"Come in!"

The captain entered, and as he saw her, so clean and well dressed, he opened his mouth, probably to speak, but closed it again.

Blood rushed to Andrea's face as she looked away. "Did you want anything special, captain?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're alright," he said.

"I'm… quite alright, thank you," she said, but avoided his eyes. She had let him too close. Sure enough, his presence calmed her, and she couldn't deny the butterflies in her stomach every time she saw the arrogant soldier. Nevertheless, she was not a common girl, so she couldn't give herself to him like that, no matter how much she might want it. She had obligations and regulations.

"Come," he suddenly said and reached out a hand.

Andrea looked at it, bewildered. "Why?"

"Just come with me," Ben smiled. "I want to show you something."

Uncertain, she took his hand and followed him out to the city. The air was hot and dusty and as the sun shone through the dust, the light received a shade of burnt umbra.

"Welcome to Aurora," he said, "the city of nightmares."

She looked around. There were no people there. "Where is everybody?"

"Hiding," Ben said. "They've lived in constant fear of the Darkness for the past five years. Kalin told me it had reaped many lives, including her father's."

"I can understand that," Andrea mumbled.

Ben sighed. "Andrea, it's really good to see you. When I woke up after being fished out of the local port, and you and Walter weren't there… well, I thought it was all over. Then I realised I was being an arse and worked my charms to get a search party out for you."

Andrea chuckled lightly. "Work your charms? I'm surprised you even succeeded."

Ben nudged her lightly. "Be nice, Princess, I hold the strings here."

Andrea laughed, and it felt good to be able to do it. When she was in the cave, she felt as if she'd never laugh again… they continued through the rather eerily silent city, down to the docks. Ben sat down, and Andrea sat down next to him.

"See that?" Ben asked and nodded towards the horizon. "Beyond that horizon lies Albion. _Your_ Albion. You will return a Queen, Andrea. You left as a young, headstrong girl, and you'll return as a Queen. All that's standing in your way is an ocean and a few petty soldiers." She looked at him and he smiled, and Andrea's heart flickered. Oh, Avo, help her.

Ben eyed her. She was so beautiful. Her emerald eyes glittered in the setting sunlight, and her auburn curls played like fire in the wind. Her face was darkened with sorrow and worry, but right there, right then, Ben saw the young woman age at least five years. He fought his many urges to touch her, but a playful smirk just came naturally.

She blushed some as she sighed and looked away. After a silent pause she asked; "Do you think Walter will live?"

"Of course he will!" Ben chuckled. "He won't give up that easily! You know that!"

"I don't know anything anymore," she sighed as her eyes were set on the horizon.

Ben sighed, too. "Well, I think he'll be alright. It's Wally we're talking about, Princess! He'll be fine! He's a stubborn, old—"

"I think Logan went there," Andrea suddenly said.

Ben raised a brow, bewildered. "There? There where? Here? To Aurora? Well, yes, he did. Everybody knows it."

"I mean _there_," she said. "To where Walter and I were. To the Darkness. I think it's killing him… and I think it killed my mother, too."

Ben knitted his eyebrows and looked at her. "You think this… this _Darkness_ killed your mother?"

She nodded.

"You're sure?" Ben asked, and she nodded again. "Well, did you find any, you know, traces? Her sword? Anything?"

This made Andrea laugh, a dark and bitterly amused laugh and she shook her head. "Yes… the whole country believes she died a Hero." She sighed. "Some say she died by a dying enemy's last bullet. Some say she died on her way back to Bowerstone after saving the kingdom. Some even say that her death was caused by foul play, and that her killer was so afraid that her spirit would haunt him, he killed himself, so even in death she would still perform Heroic deeds. Well… if the people knew the truth, my mother would lose all credibility. They would demand her and her kin being locked up at a madhouse."

Ben knitted his eyebrows even more, if that was even possible. "I don't mean to be rude, Princess, but what in Skorm's name are you talking about? I—didn't she die on a quest?"

With a deep and devastated sigh, she turned her eyes towards Ben. And then she shook her head.

"What happened to her?"

She turned her gaze back towards the horizon. "She didn't die out on a quest, but she did die battling." She took a deep breath before she continued. "My mother fell ill, just after my third birthday. It came like a hurricane; swift, violent and out of nowhere. It was horrible. I can't remember everything that clearly, but I do remember when I had to go and visit my mother. The first time, I remember sitting on my father's arm, and I held on to him, as if I'd never let him go. Logan held his hand, even though he was a bit too old for that. But he was just as frightened as I was. Father said that we weren't allowed to quarrel or laugh or make any unnecessary noises, and as we entered, I remember seeing my mother half lying in her bed, her eyes weary. The windows were covered with heavy curtains and blankets. The doctor said the sunlight hurt her eyes, but he was troubled; the dark seemed to make her worse, and any burning candle would frighten her. Apparently, she saw things flickering in the shadows. I remember that we weren't allowed to be in her room for that long, but it was long enough for both Logan and I to understand how serious it really was. But, it got worse. Much worse. The physician, Dr Baker, was with her most days, and she could only be out of bed a couple of hours each day. Another two months, and she was confined to her bed. The strongest memories I have from that period was her screaming some nights. It was as if the nightmares were eating her alive. I often went to Logan's room and slept in his bed, since father was too occupied by his royal duties and was rarely at home. Logan used to tell me that everything would be alright, that mother would get well again, and we would be a real family. But it only got worse." She swallowed. "Dr Baker moved in with us in the castle. It's from this period my memories are as clearest; some days she was… better. We could talk to her, and she would answer. But some days… well, some days she was unreachable. She would cry and scream things about her being 'tainted' and that the light inside her would die. She would call us foul names, curse at us, scream at us to go away. She would call us 'children' sometimes, but she didn't mean _her_ children; she meant the Children of the Darkness. Even though her eyes were gone, I still remember that look upon her face; that look of utter and complete horror. She saw things that weren't there; shadows and monsters." She took a pause to breath. Ben looked at her, and he saw the hurt in her face. She took a deep breath and continued; "The screaming became worse. Eventually, every night was filled with her terrifying screams. I—I remember one night in particular… we had become so used to the screaming at night, we were no longer frightened by it. Whenever she would start, the doctor would tranquilise her, and she would fall right back to sleep. One or two hours later, she woke up, and the same procedure was done, and so it would be the whole night, every night. But this night, this particular night, her screams were even worse than we'd ever imagine. Dr Baker rushed into Logan's room in cheer panic. Logan was reading to me at the time; trying to comfort me. There was a conversation… I can't remember it that well, but it was rapid and I remember thinking that the doctor sounded awfully distressed. Logan jumped off the bed and picked me up and rushed to mother's room. She was still screaming. When the doctor opened the door… when he—when…" She breathed heavily, and Ben put a hand on her shoulder.

"Andrea, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Memories can be more painful when reminded of. Take it from someone who knows."

She shook her head. "No. I—I want to." She looked at him. "I have carried this inside of me long enough. I have never told anyone before. Not even Elliot. If I do this, then maybe I could find closure."

He felt a string of pride as the Princess actually confided in him rather than Elliot, even though it was a dreadful story. "Well then," he said, "I'm here. I'm listening."

She inhaled and looked back towards the horizon. "The first thing I remember, as if it was yesterday, was the scream. It was terrifying enough hearing it from the other side of the castle, but right there, right then, her scream could make your blood freeze. I… I can't even try to understand how Dr Baker could stand it every night without going mad. The second thing I remember; the smell. The horrible odour of staleness, sweat, human waste and vomit. And then… then there was the tapestry. It was torn, as if someone had tried to scratch their way out. And it was everywhere, not just on one specific spot. All four walls were covered by these deep scratch marks. Mother had collapsed and was lying in the middle of the room. Her fingertips were bleeding. Somehow, she had found the strength to get up and scratch the walls… she wouldn't let anyone come close to her, and her eyes were completely gone. We were no longer humans to her. We never even entered the room. Logan took me back to his room and continued on reading, as if nothing had happened, and he would sit by my side until I had fallen asleep." One again, she paused. "From that day, our life became like a living nightmare. The screams were no longer restrained to night time, but were also heard during the day. She screamed all the time now. Father didn't even want to be at home, and therefore, he would only be back for a day or two before he went on his next journey. Logan and I stopped visiting her every day. Dr Baker said it was too risky. Our presence seemed to agitate her, and in her fragile state, he was afraid that she might get a heart-attack. We would visit her, occasionally, and once again, sometimes she could address us, and sometimes she was gone. Her hair had gone white. Dr Baker said it was from fright. He couldn't explain it in any other way. One morning when we came to see her, she had a bandage around her throat. Dr Baker said that when he had, at one point during the night, gone into her room to tranquilise her, she had scratched her throat, just as she had scratched the walls, and her throat was covered with open wounds. He had been forced to strap her down for the night. I remember that Walter had started to ready us for her… passing away. I guess I was too young to really grasp the whole concept of death. I knew mother was unwell, but to be honest, I have only very vivid memories of my mother before the illness began. And those months were so intense, I simply forgot that she had been different." She looked at Ben with tears in her eyes. "Am I horrible for that?"

Ben shook his head and moved closer to her so that he could put his arm around her shoulders. "You were three years old. What does a three-year-old know about death? I'm astonished you even remember it at all."

"Well," she said and leaned her head against his shoulder, "as I said; those months were so intense, it's hard to forget. Avo knows I've tried."

"Was it… did it get worse, you know, towards the end?"

"I honestly don't know," she said. "Somehow, I don't think it ever truly left her, but at the same time, I want to believe that she finally found peace…" She sighed. "Walter called for me and Logan one afternoon. Mother had one of her better days, and she wanted to see us. We entered her room, and it was clean. The servants had cleaned her room on her demand. The odour was gone, the blankets were gone, and the heavy curtains were now hanging over the scratched walls, and she had been dressed in her finest dress; a one with a high collar, so that her wounds wouldn't show. Dr Baker was at her side, as always, but he was smiling comfortingly. Mother apologised on our father's behalf that he wasn't there for us, and then she wanted me to sit down next to her. I did, naturally. I was just happy that my mother was feeling better! I thought she was going to be fine. But Logan didn't really want to go anywhere near her. Then, I simply couldn't understand why, but now I know he probably understood what was going on. So, he kept his distance. Logan has never been very good at farewells. Mother asked me to take her hand, and I did. It was so emaciated, I believe my small hand was heavier than hers. She squeezed my hand with the little strength she had left, and she even managed a smile, and behind those sunken, dim eyes and the yellow and greyish skin, I saw my mother, and it's my strongest, real memory I have of who she really was. She told me a story, and I fell asleep at her side. I woke up by Logan picking me up, tears streaming down his face, and the last thing I saw as we left the room was how Dr Baker covered my mother's face with a white cloth."

Ben didn't know what to say. Even though he had lost his entire family, nothing could compare to the nightmare she had lived through. "It's… it's just… horrible. Just horrible," he said. "I mean, you were so young, it must have given you scars that will never heal?"

"It did," she said. "For a long time, I still thought I heard her scream during the night." She laughed. "I think I slept in Logan's bed until I was at least seven years old. I bet he hated me for that. But eventually, it went away. I forgot it, I suppose. Well, not forgot it, I just… suppressed it. But after those intense six months, I was terrified of the dark. When mother had been screaming, she sometimes used real words, such as 'the Darkness is coming' and 'the Children are hungry'. So, I became afraid of the dark. And I think a lot had to do with her room being so dark. Let's face it; not many of my memories from that room are nice ones."

"Did you tell anyone?"

"Logan," Andrea said. "But father forbade us to ever speak of it again. He spread the rumour of her Heroic death, and we buried her in secrecy. He had her room shut and barred, and we've never spoken of it since. He thought it would be lost in oblivion. The people would think that she died a Hero, and as we weren't allowed to tell anyone, that rumour would eventually become the truth, since no one could prove anything different."

"So why do you think you mother went here? Do you think that whatever you and Walter faced was the source of your mother's insanity?"

"I don't know," she said. "I just… I have a feeling. A terrible feeling." She seemed to ponder before she spoke again; "When we were in that cavern, we heard a voice… a terrible, chilling voice, speaking about Darkness and the Children and how we were polluted and tainted. It spoke about how our world would be covered by Darkness and how the light inside us would die. Now, either it was looking into my darkest memories, or it wasn't, but whatever it did to Walter, I believe it did to my mother."

"What about Logan?"

She shook her head. "When father died, and Logan inherited the crown, he made his first priority to find out whatever happed to mother. None of us were really that close to our father, but we both adored mother, and Logan knew her much better than me. They had had fifteen years together when I was born. He simply couldn't let it all go. He had to know. It became an obsession of his. But even though he did everything he could to figure out what had happened, he still managed to be a good regent. And he was a wonderful brother. It's just sad that he didn't have that much time for me, but if a spare moment popped up, no matter how rare they were, he spent it with me. And the people of Albion loved him! Up until four years ago… when he returned from here. From Aurora."

Ben clenched his jaw. He had too remembered when Kind Logan had been a respectable man and a fair regent. But he simply couldn't accept that fact any longer. Not after what he had done to Swift.

"After that, he was a changed man," Andrea continued. "He started having restless nights and started sleepwalking, and I found him in the war room more than once, mumbling to himself about the Darkness and the Children." She looked at Ben. "Don't tell me it's all a coincidence."

He shook his head. "I'm not."

"I am convinced that whatever evil lurks within that cavern, it infected my mother, my brother and most certainly my mentor," Andrea said. "And who knows? Maybe I'm infected, too?"

"Do you feel infected?" Ben asked. A stupid question, really, but necessary all the same. It must feel… somehow different if something evil had infected one's mind?

"I've felt infected my whole life," she said.

"But do you feel different?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I feel overwhelmed. I mean, it's like I understand everything now. The puzzle my brother has wanted to solve for so long is finally done. The mystery of my mother and my brother is unravelled. I don't need to go looking, because the answer came to me, without my consent. I never wanted this. I've accepted that my mother fell ill. It doesn't mean I like it, but I've accepted it. I didn't need to go looking for an answer, but it came anyway. It's like the answer preceded the question, because even though the mystery is solved, it raises even more questions, question I never had before!"

Ben nodded. Once again, he had no idea what to tell her.

"But the biggest question, and the question I wish to have an answer to, is that now when I know what the Darkness is, now that I've seen it with my own eyes; can I destroy it? I can banish that evil form the face of this earth and save Walter and Logan? Can I save them from whatever horror lies ahead, or is it already too late?"

"You want to know what I think?" Ben asked and sighed. "I think you need to rest. It has all been too much for you, Princess. You… you need to bounce back. Walter is going to be fine. He's a stubborn old sod, and don't you ever think anything else! Now, you need to concentrate on what lies ahead of _you_."

"You really think Walter's going to be fine?" Andrea asked and looked at him.

He smiled and nodded. "Yes."

"Well," she muttered and turned her eyes back towards the horizon, "that's what everybody kept saying about my mother."

Ben studied her. What darkness lured inside of this fragile girl? What nightmares did she really suffer from? He recalled that night in Mourningwood when she said that she suffered from nightmares. She told him it was about the decision she had been forced to make before she left the castle, but now he wondered if she hadn't told the entire truth. But then again, why should she? She had no idea who he was then, and he was truly astonished that she had shared this piece of her dark, enclosed memories with him. Perhaps she wasn't that spoiled little brat she first appeared to be? Perhaps life in the castle wasn't as easy as he first had thought?

"Anyway, enough about my disturbed childhood," she suddenly sighed and looked up at him. "Tell me about yours."

Ben chuckled. "My childhood?"

"Well, you do have a past, don't you?" she asked, and if Ben didn't mistake himself, he could hear a tone of challenge in her voice. "We _all_ have a past."

He raised his brows and nodded. "True."

"Now I've told you a very dark and major event of my past," she continued, "so now it's your turn to share one of yours."

He smirked. He didn't really want to be vain or self-centred, but he had to admit that he had had some remarkable adventures during his life.

"Tell me about your brothers," she said, her voice more pleading than demanding.

He clenched his jaw. That particular part was something he'd rather not talk about. However, he presumed that she was right; perhaps taking about it would bring closure. He had, after all, shared it in his autobiography... he took a deep breath. "I was the youngest of four boys. Jason was the eldest, then William, Quentin and finally myself. Now, as we weren't, well, exactly rich, my brothers and I had to earn our own sustenance. My brothers had their own way of getting money, and even though I tried my best, and even though my hands were the smallest, I simply couldn't do it as well as they did. I simply wasn't cut out for pocket-picking. I found my calling as a street performer, sharing my thoughts to the people of my village, and I had a knack for it! Not that is was royal standard on my jokes," he smiled, "but it was honest and simple enough for peasants. However, involuntarily, I became the diversion so that my brothers could rob the villagers blind. I became an accidental accomplice. But to be honest, I shouldn't complain. It was with stolen money I got my first pellet gun, and because of it, I discovered my second talent, and in the following years, I traded my career as a street performer to a gambler, together with my brothers. Now, I'm not proud of that, however, I won ninety-nine percent of the times. All people had to do was to place a bet and then shoot better than me. Simple enough, but apparently, it was hard. I received a beating or two. Apparently, men are very sensible. They didn't like that an eleven year old boy could shoot better than them, so they proved that they were better at other things instead, like using their fists. But as I was used as a punch-ball, my brothers punched back. Thus the brothers Finn were labelled as nuisance, and this we remained for years to come. Because of our reputation, the love affair between Jason and a married woman did not surprise anyone. Not even the husband. However, this didn't mean he was less furious. He challenged my bother for a duel, which was fought using pitchforks, and, well, my brother had never done one day of honest work in his entire life, so he pulled the short straw by holding the pitchfork the wrong way round. I believe you could imagine the outcome of that." He scoffed. "Now, I told you that I had found a new career in gambling, and it was going well. Very well. Men and women around the neighbouring villages came to beat me, but no one did, and as I was a lot stronger at the age of fifteen than at the age of eleven, the people reluctantly left their money as I beat them silly with my accuracy. Now, as I continued with this rather harmless occupation, my remaining brother continued on with the slightly heavier stuff. They were now con men, robbing innocent people of their livelihood. Shortly after the tragically comical death of my eldest brother, William did the fatal mistake of conning the wrong man; a civilian townsguard. He was taken to Bowerstone, and I haven't heard from him since. He robbed that poor sod blind, so I suspect he met his end at the gallows. You already know about Quentin, so I hardly have to tell you again. All I can say is that it was all due to a rather large gambling debt, and a hefty price on his head." He looked at her, and when he saw the horror in her eyes, he knew he had moved up a notch. He was definitely in the game. He didn't find it all that hard to talk about, whatsoever. It was infinitely easier than he'd first imagined. However, the Princess didn't necessarily have to know that. "My mother died shortly after by a broken heart, leaving my father a drunken widower. I tried to hold the fort, but it was difficult to say the least. Not long after my mother's passing, my father joined the rest of my family, far more sober than he would have liked, and that put an official end of my childhood, only fifteen years of age."

"I didn't… I'm sorry Ben," the Princess whispered, her eyes still on him. "That's just… horrible!"

"Well," Ben said, "it's history now, Princess."

She nodded, taking a deep breath, trying to regain her control. She then sighed and cleared her throat. She then detached herself from Ben's embrace, and she stood up, leaving Ben very bewildered. Was he still in the game?

"I'm sorry for your loss, Captain," she then said, and he recognised that regal tone from the very first time he saw her. "Thank you… for your time." She then gave him a nod before she turned to walk away.

He knitted his brows and turned to look at her. "And that's it, then?" He chuckled.

"For today," she answered and left.

Ben smirked as he looked out over the open sea. _Oh yes_, he thought, _I am definitely in the game_.


	12. The Docks

**A/N: **Alright, so here's the next chapter! I honestly don't know what to make of it.. but perhaps you guys will :) Hope you all like it!

Oh, and I sat the whole night by the computer drawing a map over Albion. Here's the result: http: / / fav . me / d4g7b5v (remove spaces)

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter**

**Chapter Twelve**_  
The Docks_

Time passed slowly in Aurora. Andrea spent most of her hours by Walter's side, reading to him, singing to him, stroking his hand… she wanted to believe that even though he was still unconscious since a week back, he would still hear her and perhaps her voice would bring some light to chase away some of the darkness inside of him. Kalin had been very helpful and understanding, and so had Ben. However, Andrea had to remember her place. She could not let a man like Ben Finn affect her so, even though she could not help it. And of late, there had been this peculiar, triumphant air about him she could not explain. It was in the way he talked, in the way he moved and most of all, in the way he looked at her. She simply couldn't figure him out, and neither could she deny the urge to let out a girlish giggle every time he gave a smart remark on something. She hated herself for that. She hadn't behaved in such manner since she was fourteen, and to start again, that was just embarrassing. Nevertheless, the only way to fight it was to hide it, which she luckily succeeded to do. Even though she had decided to keep Ben Finn at a distance from now on, she still couldn't keep away from the dock which had become their place of meeting. Every day they met down there, and every day they shared a bit more of their lives. In the beginning, their meetings were purely random and coincidental, but after two or three days, they were both expecting to come across one another. At least that's what Andrea liked to think. Every day after tending to Walter and after sharing a meal with Kalin, Andrea went down to sit by the water, waiting for the blonde captain who always arrived a moment later.

Today was no different. Andrea watched as Ben laughed heartily at her story about how she had first met Elliot. She couldn't keep from smiling herself. "What?" she asked. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, Princess," he laughed, trying to regain his control. "I'm sorry… it's just—I can't—is Elliot dumb or just plain stupid?"

Andrea shook her head. "It was sweet, Ben. We were ten years old."

"Forgive me," Ben said and sighed, his lips still smiling, "but somehow, I could easily imagine him doing something like that even now."

Andrea chuckled. "Yes, perhaps." She sighed. "Now it's your turn."

"Right," Ben said. "What do you want to hear?"

"Well," Andrea said while she scanned through everything Ben had told her so far, and then she stumbled across a name. "Oh! Tell me about Alyssa!"

He raised his brow. "Alyssa?" A small fire of suppressed jealousy kindled inside of Andrea as she saw his face as the name fell off his lips. "Well, it's… it's nothing special."

"Tell me."

He looked at her, and then he sighed. "Alright. Well, I told you about the motley crew I sailed with, so you know all about Boyd and Ulrich, right?"

"Oh yes," she said and rolled her eyes. "The Terrible Trio."

"I knew I shouldn't have told you about that," Ben muttered. "Anyway, so, as we landed in the port of Tumnisa, we decided to go on a regular turn about town. It was a rather small port town on the north-eastern coast of Samarkand, and we thought that a turn wouldn't take too long. So, the three scoundrels headed out for an escapade they wouldn't soon forget." He stared out over the ocean with an over dramatic look upon his face, and then he raised his brows and look at her. "To be fairly honest, I actually don't remember that much, but I remember waking up at dawn in a bush outside of town, with Boyd and Ulrich hugging each other next to me with an empty bottle each in their hands. I woke them up, afraid that if we didn't hurry back to port, our ship would have sailed without us. So, hung-over and miserable, we headed back to town. However, as we all wondered why the road tilted upwards, we did not understand we were heading the wrong way. Not until Ulrich spotted a great mansion up on a hill, and we figured that if we could reach that mansion, then perhaps we could see the port, and if our ship was still docked there. So, we headed further up the path, towards it. Although, not many minutes later, a hooded woman was seen sprinting down the path, obviously distressed, not noticing us. Boyd dragged me and Ulrich into the bushes and said that we should stop her and ask if the lady needed help. He also pointed out, with a rather sly smirk, that the woman must be a prostitute, judging by her very challenging clothing underneath the cloak. Ulrich suggested that we could offer help in exchange for her services. Though I'm not proud of it, I encouraged the plan, and Boyd and Ulrich stepped out from the bushes, blocking the path for the woman running down the hill. She stopped, terrified, and I stepped out of the bushes onto the path behind her, thus surrounding her. The woman turned around several times, sizing us up, and as the three of us smirked at her, amazingly, she smirked back. As usual, Boyd was the one to take the first step, giving the woman our offer, and we all knew that no matter her answer, she would still have to… well, do her job. And, not entirely surprisingly, she turned our offer down, demanding Boyd and Ulrich to step aside, so that she could continue. Naturally, this triggered Ulrich to take matter into his own hands, and forced himself upon the woman. Boyd and I looked at each other, uncertain of the moral aspect of it all, but before we could do anything about it, the woman herself had beaten the rather large Ulrich to the ground, and was now looking at me and Boyd. Now, both Boyd and I were clever enough not to repeat Ulrich's mistake, and surrendered. But the woman didn't walk away. On the contrary, she accepted the offer, on the one condition that her 'services' would only include… well, us looking like gentlemen to the great Avo by helping her. So, the bargain was very one-sided, really. Nevertheless, we took her with us, acting as her protection, though I'm sure that girl did not need much of a protection… now when I think of it; it wouldn't surprise me if she was Hero-blooded. Anyway, she introduced herself as Alyssa, a run-away whore from the Hillside Brothel, the mansion upon that hill. We told her who we were and what we were doing in Tumnisa. Wishing to escape this small pirate haven, she wished to join our crew. Ulrich was the boatswain, he was the one of us with influence with the captain, and he said he'd never come across a woman as tough as Alyssa, and therefore, he would get her aboard our ship. He succeeded, and as we left Tumnisa, our crew was now a crewman – _woman_ – richer."

Andrea nodded, half horrified, half amused. She knew he was a scoundrel, and that he had probably had more women that she'd ever imagined, but she never thought he'd _force_ a prostitute to sell her services to him… she'd never thought he would_ have_ to. What woman, of that profession, of course, would turn down such a man? "What happened then?"

"Well," Ben continued, "as we sailed around the coast of Samarkand and the surrounding islands, raiding and trading with small ports on the way, Alyssa quickly became one of the best. She was fearsome, cruel and professional yet amusing, compassionate and sensible. And she had a lovely singing-voice… anyway, we became… close friend, Alyssa and I. We both discovered we had a tragic past, and we both had been involuntarily dragged into unnecessary criminal business. There was a special openness between her and I that made us go so well together. We didn't need words to know what the other one was thinking, and we complimented each other in a way we both had given up hope of existing."

Andrea swallowed, feeling how she went numb. "You loved her, didn't you?"

"I can't pretend like those feelings didn't exist, no," he admitted, and she clenched her jaw. But who was she to judge? "However, we let it run its course, and in the end, we both agreed that it would be for the best to go back to what things were. As we docked in the last port before going back to Albion and Bowerstone, she decided to leave us. She didn't want to go to Albion, and said she wanted to stand on her own two feet from now on. So, we parted as friends, and I haven't heard from her since."

Andrea nodded stiffly. Even though she knew she shouldn't feel the way she felt about it, she couldn't help the sense of hopelessness. "What did she look like?"

He smiled. "Like a fearsome warrior! Almost a bit like Walter, if I'm not mistaken…"

"You're lying," she said. "Was she beautiful?"

He nodded. "Yes. Very. She had chocolate skin and obsidian eyes. Her dark brown hair was long and shiny, her body was athletic, and she was as tall as I. And a more stubborn woman than her is hard to come by. I even believe she might have been more strong-willed that you, Princess. And her thighs!" He chuckled. "Well, I do have a fancy for strong thighs…"

Andrea chuckled too, though not as honest as him. She knew she wasn't exactly the kind of woman he liked… but all people could change their minds, right? _What are you thinking!_ She mused to herself. _Don't fall for him, Andrea! Where's your self-respect?_

"Look," he suddenly said and snapped her out of her thoughts. "Let's just forget about her now. It's your turn to tell me something."

She shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't likely to forget about that woman anytime soon. And the worst thing was, if Ben liked that kind of woman, then what was his opinion of Page?

"Come on!" Ben smiled. "Tell me something about your life in the castle."

"No," she said and rose. "I'm afraid we'll have to continue tomorrow. I have to see to Walter."

"You can do that later," Ben said. "It's not like he's _going_ anywhere."

Andrea gasped. What did he mean by that? Did he think Walter wouldn't wake up? Her heart stopped as she saw Walter lie in the same fashion as her mother had done, and she tightened her fists and spun on her heel to march away. If Ben had decided to be heartless, well then, so could she.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why was Ben always so stupid? That came out more wrong that he could ever imagine, and as the Princess tensed up and turned on spot, he couldn't do little else but to curse at himself for being a bastard and then turn his head back towards the ocean. Without really thinking, Alyssa popped into mind again. What was she doing now? Was she married? She had always talked about having children, somewhere far away from the big city… oh well, she was history now. And if he wasn't careful, then so would Andrea. He knew it was stupid of him to tell her about Alyssa, but she asked, and he couldn't deny her. With a deep sigh, he rose and headed back towards the temple. He had to apologise. No matter if she would accept it or not, he had to make her feel better. After all he'd told her, he felt obligated to keep her mind occupied by positive thoughts. So, he marched after her.

As he had expected, he found her in the temple, sitting next to Walter, reading a book. Bernard lay by her side and raised his head as Ben walked towards them. Andrea looked up, but clenched her jaw and looked down into the book again.

"How is he?" Ben asked.

"He's hanging in there," she snapped. "Soon enough he'll be up."

"Princess, if what I said today offended you, I'm sorry," Ben sighed.

"You didn't offend me," Andrea said. "You offended Walter."

"Walter can take it," Ben said. "He's—"

"Don't talk about Walter, Ben," Andrea snapped again and shot a glare at him.

He sighed. He knew that an angry Princess was a difficult Princess. But he would surrender. "Alright," he said and kneeled to scratch Bernard's belly. He looked up at Andrea. "Let's talk about you then. I don't think you have to be worried. You're not infected."

She glared at him as she shut the book close, and he feared his intended encouragement had the opposite effect. "How do you know that? How can you _possibly_ know that? Can you look into my head and be certain that there are no traces of the Darkness in there?"

Ben clenched his jaw. "No. But—"

"I thought that by telling you all about this, you'd understand!" she cried. "But you don't!"

"Andrea," Ben sighed, but again, she had risen and stormed away from him, leaving Ben and Bernard with Walter, both of them utterly surprised. But Bernard didn't seem to bother and lay back down, turning onto his back so that Ben could scratch him some more. "Seems like it's just you and me then, boy," he sighed. Suddenly, there was a grunt, and he turned his head. Walter was stirring. "Well," Ben said, "the Princess is going to regret storming away from this… Priestess!"

**.:*Ö*:.**

Andrea had strolled through the ghostly quiet town numerous times, thinking about the Darkness, Walter, Logan and her mother, and today, she couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if Walter actually didn't make it. Walter was still not awake, and Kalin had said that they needed to stay for at least another week. It didn't matter to Andrea, as long as Walter woke up. She had never been so frightened in her entire life as when he closed his eyes in that desert. The voice of the Darkness still haunted her in her dreams. This was how it all began for her mother, too, wasn't it? The dreams? The screaming…?

She made her ways to the docks, where she sat down to listen to the waves as they softly broke the surface of the water, sending Andrea into a trance-like state. Was Walter going to make it? Was _she_ going to make it? One week from now, she would return to Bowerstone to be Queen. Was she ready for that? Was she ready to rule a country? Was she ready to serve the people of Albion and fulfil their expectations, or were they really changing one tyrant with another?

"I thought I'd find you here." Ben's voice came out of nowhere.

"Oh, I didn't hear you coming," Andrea whispered.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," Ben said and sat down next to her. They were both silent for a while.

Even though Ben could be a bastard from time to time, Andrea was glad she was there with her and Walter. She was so glad that it was he who stood by her side as she slowly, as he so nicely had put it, bounced back from that horrible experience, and that he was the one that would be with her as they returned to the shores of Bowerstone. _Bowerstone_…

"It's very calm down here," he said. "And beautiful. Look, I came here to tell—"

"I don't like it here," Andrea suddenly said. "I want to go home."

Ben sighed heavily. "I do, too. But Walter just—"

"I know," Andrea sighed. She couldn't hold the tears any longer, and they started to fall. "I don't want him to die the same death as my mother did, Ben!" She looked at him, and his blue eyes looked horrified.

"He won't die!" he said. "Don't think that! Walter's a stubborn old man. He won't die. In fact—"

"It's my fault!" Andrea sobbed. "I could have saved him, Ben! I could have—I could have fought the Darkness! I should have been me! If I'd only—oh, if I weren't so bloody gutless!"

"No," Ben said. "Don't say that." He grabbed her hand in his and squeezed. "You're a strong, confident young woman, Andrea. A warrior!"

Andrea managed a laugh between her cries. "You astonish me, Ben. You always seem know what to say to both anger me and make me happy."

"I'm only glad to help, Princess," he smiled.

"No," Andrea said. "I'm not a Princess any more. How can I be after this? How could someone this polluted by the truth be a Princess?"

"No," Ben said, and that charming, beautiful smile of his spread across his face. "You will always be a Princess to me." Then he sighed. "Andrea, whatever happened to you down there is something I will never know. But trust me when I say this; it doesn't matter how 'polluted' you say you are, or how scared you are that whatever happened to your mother will happen to you; you will always be the only one I want to see wearing that crown."

Andrea smiled. "Thank you, Ben." They looked at each other, and Andrea found herself lost in his blue eyes. As the realisation hit her, blood rushed upon her cheeks and she looked away.

She could still fell Ben's eyes on her, though. He moved his hand to grab her chin carefully and turned her face towards him so that their eyes met again. "You're beautiful, Andrea." He smiled somewhat shyly, as if he knew he'd said something inappropriate, and he leaned forwards. "We will at least have the prettiest posters in the world with _your _face on them."

Andrea smiled too, though very embarrassed.

Ben caressed her lips with his thumb. "You'll make a wonderful Queen." Then he sighed heavily. "But to know that _Elliot_ will be your King… that is torture, Andrea!"

Andrea looked confused. "What? Why?"

Ben shook his head and cupped her face with both his hands. His eyes were intense, almost frightening, and yet so intriguing. "Because I know you'll never be mine." And with that, he leaned forwards towards her, and she jerked her head back slightly and gasped. His eyes flickered between her lips and her eyes, and again, he leaned in, and kissed her, softly and tenderly.

She was all too flabbergasted to even react. Was he kissing her? She didn't throw herself at him and she didn't push him away. Her heart raced. This was what she wanted, wasn't it? She closed her eyes and felt his lips, analysed how they fitted with hers. They were warm and soft but they were still so completely different from Elliot's. Ben was different from Elliot. He was stronger, smarter and braver, and definitely more dangerous. Andrea had always found that attractive in Ben, no matter how much she hated herself for it; his violent past as a pirate and his impeccable skills as a soldier… sure, he was a bit rough around the edges from time to time, but that added to the charm, didn't it?

Ben pulled away. He looked at her with horror in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I shouldn't have done that."

"No," she said and smiled faintly. "You shouldn't have. But you did."

"I did," he sighed, "and I'm sorry."

Andrea smiled. He still hadn't let go of her face, and she pressed her face against his hands. "Don't be."

He looked at her with confused eyes. But there was longing and desire in them, too, and he leaned in, once again, to kiss her. This time, she reached towards him, and when their lips met, she put her hands around his neck, and he slightly lost his controlled manner. He grabbed her neck and the small of her back and pressed her closer to him as he worked his lips against hers, and Andrea drove her fingers through his blonde hair. She moaned softly as she felt his muscles holding her in place, and she was completely lost in the whole sensation of having Captain Benjamin Finn like this.

But Ben suddenly pulled away. "Princess—"

"No!" Andrea pleaded and tried to press herself closer to him again, but his arms held her steadily at a safe distance. "Don't do this to me, Ben!"

"This isn't good. We shouldn't do this, Andrea," Ben sighed.

"What?" Andrea didn't understand a thing. Why wasn't this good? "Why?"

"You're engaged to _Elliot_!" Ben said and knitted his brows.

Andrea opened her mouth so reply, but closed it again. How did he know that? How could he possibly have found out about that? They had been alone! Andrea hadn't even given her final answer yet. She had been thinking about accepting, of course she had, but that was only because it was convenient. Her feelings towards Elliot had changed dramatically over the course of a couple of days. More so, her feelings towards Ben, especially now when she knew what his touch felt like. "Don't do this, Ben. Not now."

He sighed. "I can't, Andrea. I can't kiss you, knowing that you belong to someone else."

"I don't belong to anyone, Ben," she muttered.

"You know what I mean."

Andrea let her arms drop from him. Then she turned away.

"You don't know how hard it is for me," Ben sighed. "It's torture to be so close to you, but now not be allowed to touch you."

"I allow you to touch me, Ben," she said and turned back to him. "I _want_ you to touch me, god damn it! Why don't you get that?"

He clenched his jaw. "You don't know what you're saying," he said and looked out over the sea.

"Are you daft?" Andrea asked. "I understand just perfectly what I am saying! I want you to touch me, Benjamin Finn. I—I want to feel your warmth." As she expressed those exact words, she felt how a pain of embarrassment shot through her chest, and she wished to Avo she could take it back.

"No, you don't know what you're saying!" Ben barked and glared at her. "You have no idea of what it means! You have no idea of what it's like!"

"What? To be with a man?" Andrea barked back. "So that's the only reason, then? You deny me because I happen to be inexperienced because I'm the bloody Princess, who can't bed with just anyone? I've always known you were a bit vain and self-righteous, Mr Finn, but I never saw you as shallow!"

Ben sighed frustrated. "I'm not shallow. I just don't want to be the one to dishonour the Princess."

Andrea laughed, and then she just gave up. She would never have the devilishly handsome soldier for herself, because he was far too concerned about whom she was. "Dishonour me?" She rose. "Chicken." Then she started to walk away.

"What did you call me?" Ben snapped and rose.

Andrea stopped and turned. "I said 'chicken'."

"I am not a chicken," Ben growled as he walked towards her.

Andrea crossed her arms. "Prove it."

Ben looked bewildered. He knitted his brows and stared at her.

"See?" Andrea said "You're just a scared little boy." Then she turned again, but before she had taken a step, Ben had grabbed her arm and swung her around and pressed his lips against hers in a rough kiss. He dragged her close, held her steady. Andrea was too shocked to do any resistance. Well, she didn't want to resist him. This was what she wanted. And this time, she could really feel that this was what he wanted, too. He forced her backwards towards the rocks, and pinned her between them and himself. Andrea brought her arms to his neck and locked them there, not willing to let go. Ben's hands ran across her body, driving her mad. Oh, this was nothing she could ever experience with Elliot! Not a chance! She let him touch her most private parts, kiss her neck, and she embraced him. She wanted him. "Oh, Ben," she moaned softly as he touched her. She had no idea what to do, how to react, but she knew she didn't want him to stop.

He brought his face in front of hers and looked hungrily, yet troubled, into her eyes. His chest rose and fell rapidly. "Andrea, are you really sure about this?"

She was frightened, but she was positive that this was what she wanted. She had waited long enough, and the encounter with the Darkness made her realise just how much she wanted Ben. How much she _needed_ Ben. She nodded.

One again, his lips crushed down on hers, and he took a firm hold of her thighs as he lifted her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. He kissed her throat down to the nape of her neck, and brought his hands to her corset. "Let's get this bloody thing off then, shall we?"

She giggled. "Ben, we can't—we can't do it out here!"

He kissed her neck. "Why not?"

She giggled even louder. "No! What if somebody sees us?"

"Well, then it'll probably be the most exciting thing these people have seen in a long time," he smirked as he clashed his lips down on hers and continued along her jaw.

And as fast as her lips were free, she gasped. "Ben! That's horrible!"

"I am a horrible man at times," he smirked against her shoulder as he tugged at the laces on her corset.

Andrea suppressed another giggle as she looked up, and suddenly, there was something appearing on the horizon… could it be? No… white sails? Her heart sank as the realisation grabbed hold on her; Logan had probably figured out where they were going, and was now sending his men to take her back with them and kill the rest. "Ben," she said and patted him on the shoulder, but he didn't look up. "Ben!"

"What?" he chuckled and looked at her.

She gaped as she nodded towards the horizon. "A—a ship… a ship!"

No matter how aroused Ben may have been, his face turned serious within a second, and he let her down and turned his head towards the ocean. And right there, was the man her body, her heart, ached for… _Captain_ Benjamin Finn. _Her_ Captain…

"Well, Princess," he said, "that's a ship, alright. We'd better warn Kalin." He looked at her and she nodded. She wouldn't give up now.

**.:*Ö*:.**

_Just my bloody luck_, he growled to himself as he marched up towards the temple for the second time today. He _had_ her, for Avo's sake! He had her, and now, big brother was coming to take her back and Ben was probably doomed to the gallows. That was just brilliant…

They ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, and when they entered the temple, both of them stopped, because in front of them, on the edge of the bed, sat Walter, his eyes weary and his hair greyer than usual, but otherwise, he seemed to be just fine.

"Walter?" Andrea shrieked and rushed to him.

"You found her," Walter croaked and looked at Ben. "Thank you."

"You knew he was awake?" Andrea gasped and glared at Ben as she sat down next to Walter.

"Well, yes," Ben said. "That was why I went down there in the first place."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she yelled.

"You cut me off every time I tried!" Ben cried. "Doesn't matter much now, does it?" he sighed and looked at Kalin who entered the room. "Kalin! A ship is coming."

She looked at him, bewildered. "A ship?" She shook her head. "No… no, what ship would come here?"

"Who do you think?" Ben muttered while he walked to grab his weapons. "The King, of course. Gather every man and woman willing to fight, or this city will truly go under."

She sighed and nodded. "Very well, but our army won't be very impressive. Most of the soldiers are the same age as the Princess, and the only thing they've fought are Shadows."

Andrea rose. "If they've fought the Darkness, they will stand well against Logan."

"If Logan's coming," Walter said as he rose, and he grunted as he straightened, "then we need to be prepared."

"Walter!" Andrea gasped. "You should rest!"

"Rest?" Walter scoffed. "I've rested long enough. No, let's show Logan that we can still put up a fight."

"That's the spirit!" Ben said.

"Ben," Walter said and dragged himself towards him. "I need to hold on to someone. My legs are still stiff."

"Well Wally, after a week, I'm glad you're even standing," Ben smiled as he helped the old man to support on him. As Kalin left to gather her warriors, Ben, Walter and Andrea hurried down to the dock, watching how the ship came closer and closer.

"That's one of Logan's ships," Walter established.

Ben wiggled out of Walter's grip and reached for his rifle.

"No," Walter said. "Let them think they've got the upper hand. That'll give them confidence, and confidence will cause them to make fatal mistakes."

"Well, they do have the upper hand," Ben said.

"Not as long as we have Andrea," Walter said.

As the ship sailed closer, the three alone on the docks had begun worrying when Kalin finally showed up with twenty young men and women, all equipped with swords, daggers, bows and spears.

"Archers!" Kalin commanded, and ten of her warriors tightened their bows.

Ben aimed his rifle, too, ignoring Walter's comment earlier. But as he focused on the target, he saw something familiar at the bow of the ship… if he wasn't mistaken, he saw a dark woman waving her arms. Was it…? No! Page? "Wait!" Ben hurried to say before Kalin had had the time to shout "fire". "Those aren't Logan's men."

"What?" Andrea gasped and squinted her eyes. "Is that… Page?"

Ben nodded. Then he signalled the archers to stand back, and lower their weapons, though very confused and worried. He then put his rifle back, and shook his head. "Can't say I not surprised."

Andrea only smiled. She then turned to Kalin. "They are friends."

They waited for the ship to dock, and then they helped tie it to the pier. It was a rather happy reunion, even Ben had to admit that. The mood lightened up dramatically as the newcomers landed on the Auroran shores, not only because any new face was a bliss, but also because the newcomers brought food such as livestock and vegetables. And, to everyone's great surprise, Page had brought Sabine with her as well as Kidd and two other, Boulder and Captain Saker.

"Finnegan!" Saker boomed as he walked off the ship.

Ben smirked. "Saker. You haven't changed a bit, I see."

"Nah, change is a waste of time, my friend," Saker said as they shook hands. The mercenary then turned to Andrea. "Princess." He bowed.

Andrea raised her eyebrows, clearly bewildered. "You two… know each other?"

While Saker let out a loud laugh, Ben shook his head. "We served together in the army, though only a year or so before Saker was kicked out."

"Good times, eh, Finnegan?" Saker chuckled gleefully.

"Sure, sure," Ben chuckled.

"No matter if that monster of a man was in the army once," Page muttered and nodded towards Saker, "he was still a pain in the arse one way here. I tell you, Andrea, you should have killed him when you had the chance."

"Don't worry, darling," Saker smirked, "I can do you tonight. All I need is a couple of pints, and I'm good to go."

Page scoffed disgustedly.

Andrea smiled iffily. "It's… good to see you, Captain Saker."

The mercenary winked at her, and a shiver ran down her spine. She had never liked the big bandit. Never.

"Allow me to welcome you all to Aurora," Kalin said loudly, and they all fell silent. "My name is Kalin, and I am the leader of the Auroran people. And on the behalf of my people, I welcome you. Now, let us feast, for tomorrow, the first step to war begins."

"Spoken like a true leader," Ben whispered to Andrea, inhaling a deep sniff of her hair before they all headed back towards the city.


	13. For Albion!

**A/N:** Alright, so this chapter is kind of slow.. I'm sorry for that. Don't know if you think so, but I do. Nevertheless, it is necessary. Oh well, hopefully, you'll like it.

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Thirteen**_  
For Albion!_

If anything would ever aggravate the Darkness, this would be it; the whole city of Aurora cried with joy as music was streaming out over the ocean from the beaches, and bonfires lit the skies with their light and warmth. Whole pigs were roasted over open fires and for the first time since Andrea entered the city, she saw smiles on the Auroran people's faces. She couldn't keep from smiling herself; Walter was up, her friends were there, and somehow, she had started to accept the fact that when she returned to Albion, it was to become Queen. When people raised their pints, they all shouted "For Albion!" and drank, and Andrea had never in her life seen such unity. She was proud that these were the people that would follow her on her road to rule. She was proud.

She sat down next to Page on the beach and looked out over the sea. "Who's running things in Bowerstone now?"

"Tara," Page replied. "And she's great. She's a bit mad that you didn't say goodbye, though."

Andrea sighed. She probably did deserve it, as Tara had helped her when she needed it the most.

"Anyway," Page said, "Logan knows something's up, and he's nervous. The streets are still crawling with soldiers and we have more than once had to scatter as our meetings has been disturbed by guards."

"I'm so sorry," Andrea said.

"Don't be," Page smiled. "You've only helped us. All this is a sign that Logan is taking us seriously, and that he's afraid of us. You made that happen." She took a sip of the ale in her hand. "Oh, but I do wonder; why in Avo's name did you recruit _Saker _of all people?"

Andrea smiled. She could have killed him. She could have… as she remembered the feeling she got when she had succeeded to beat that big man, she felt proud and a new wave of courage filled her. "I'm sure he is a good man, or was… nevertheless, we've got the support of the mercenaries."

"Well," Page sighed, "maybe you're right. But he's disgusting."

"That he is," Andrea agreed. She still remembered the nasty looks he had given her when she came to fight him.

"I see that you are all alright," Page said, and if Andrea wasn't mistaken, she could hear a trace of nervousness in her voice. "Even Mr Finn?"

"Yes," Andrea said as she knitted her brows. "Yes, we're alright. Though I don't understand why you'd care about Ben…"

"Oh, just—never mind," Page hurried to say.

Andrea couldn't help but to curl her lips into a half-smile, half-smirk. "You were worried about Benjamin Finn?"

"No!" Page said. "No, I just—it's not—I did not—that's not what I said!"

"But that's what you meant."

Page sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying that it wouldn't surprise me if the bastard got himself killed on the way here."

"Well, as you can see, Ben is fine," Andrea said. "We're all fine."

"And that's terrific!" Page said.

Andrea sighed and looked over to where Ben was sitting; he was playing cards with Saker, Kidd and some Aurorans. A knot tied inside of her chest as she saw the blonde soldier. Of course she was thinking about earlier that day, but no matter how much she had known then that it was what she wanted, she couldn't help but to feel a bit ashamed. She really had thrown herself at him, begging him to touch her. _What must he think of me?_ She thought, devastated. He had called her a child numerous times, and perhaps now, she really deserved that title, because how she had acted was no way for a lady to act. She seemed more of a desperate teenager than a soon-to-be Queen.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben hadn't seen Saker for years, and now, when he was reunited with his old brother in arms, he remembered why the big man was kicked out in the first place. He was just… too much. And he called himself a _deserter_, as if _he_ left. Oh well. Ben had run with men worse than Saker, but, well… Saker was just… Saker! And Saker had never been good at cards. This night was no different, and Ben won both ammunition and money, much to Saker's dismay, and Saker was not the kind of man to let a defeat go by unnoticed, and objected loudly before he left the card-players to try his luck with some of the young, native women. Ben shook his head and smirked as he took his winnings and left the game himself to get something to drink. Walter was talking to Kalin and Sabine, shouting "For Albion!" every now and that, and Boulder was next to them. Though he was a man of few words, Boulder seemed to have found a friend in Andrea's furry companion. Ben looked around to see if he could find the Princess herself, and not very surprisingly, she was sitting with Page. But what was his plan anyway? To take her somewhere quiet and finish what he'd started? Yes, because that was how a Princess should be treated. He rolled his eyes at himself. He was being pathetic. Obviously, he would have to accept the fact that what happen earlier was something that would never happen again, because once they stepped foot on Albion's shores, she would have only one path, and that was towards the throne, and they couldn't afford any diversions. And once she was Queen… well, let's say that it would be easier to get an audience with the _old_ Hero Queen then with the new one. So, what was he going to do? Give it all up?

"Oh, come on!" he muttered to himself. Did he ever give up? No! No, he was not that kind of man. The Princess had invited him, and he was never the first to leave a party. So, he set his course towards Page and the Princess, perhaps a bit less sober than he'd wanted to. He greeted them with a smile and a bold comment on how their beauty was magnified in the firelight. This caused Princess Andrea to shake her head, and Page to roll her eyes before she rose and left. However, if the alcohol hadn't distorted Ben's eyes, he thought himself see a slight shade of pink playing across Page's otherwise dark face as she passed him. But he didn't bother giving it any further thought and sat down next to the Princess. "Hello, love," he smiled and placed a hand behind her back.

Andrea shifted a bit nervously. "Ben, maybe we shouldn't—"

"Oh, come on!" he chuckled. "You had no problem with it earlier today."

"Yes, well, I—it—the situation—it just happened."

"No," Ben said as he leaned a bit closer to her, "it did not 'just happen', because last time I checked, you were the one who _begged_ for it."

She clenched her jaw. "I did not _beg _for it," she muttered under her breath.

"Yes you did!" Ben chuckled.

"If Walter sees you this close to me, he'll kill you," she muttered. "Just so you know."

Ben sighed and pulled away from her. He took a sip from his ale and stared out across the ocean. "You know, I don't get you." He said. "You are, by far, the most complicated woman I have ever met. I don't even think _you_ know what you want."

"I know exactly what I want," she muttered.

"What is it, then?" he asked and looked at her. "Because for a moment there, I thought it was me you wanted."

She sighed heavily and looked at him, but quickly looked away, blood rushing to her face. "I'm not—I can't, Ben. I just… can't."

"What changed your mind?" For the first time in a long time, he actually felt angry at her. How dared she ridicule him like this?

"Please, Ben," she said and looked at him, "don't make this any more difficult than it already is."

Ben took a deep breath, pushing away all the things he really wanted to say, blaming the alcohol for them, and then he even managed a smile. "I'm sorry. You're the Princess, and a Princess shouldn't be with someone like me, I get it."

She gasped in horror. "No! No, Ben, it's not—it's not that!"

"What is it, then?" Ben sighed, feeling how the control was slipping away from him. "Because earlier today, you were ready to go, but now… what changed your mind? Your _better judgement_ caught up with you?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again and turned her eyes back towards the sea. "I—this is all new to me, Ben." She sighed. "Maybe you were right; maybe I'm just a spoiled little child, not knowing what I'm getting myself into?"

Ben sighed too. He couldn't be mad at her now. Carefully, he placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Don't worry," he said. "You've still got plenty of time to figure it out." Then he smirked. "You know, you could always see me as a… starter."

She giggled shyly. "Really, Ben! Walter is going to kill you!"

"Fine," he said and shrugged. "Then we'll meet somewhere."

She looked down on her lap.

Ben rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Princess," he said, "I'm not going to force you to anything. You're a Hero, for Avo's sake! Let's just… talk. Alright?"

She sighed. "Alright." She stood up. "Meet me on the northern beach in twenty minutes."

Ben nodded, and then she turned to walk away from him._ Alright_, he thought. He had his own wishes of what would happen once they met, however, if things didn't end up like that, he would have to accept it, no matter how painfully a blow that would be to his pride.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Andrea inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth several times as she headed towards Walter and Kalin. Did she understand what she had gotten herself into? Could she truly trust Ben like that? Yes… yes, of course she could. Or could she? As the thoughts ran wild in her head, she succeeded to doubt herself, curse at herself, curse at Ben, forgive Ben, regret her decision, call herself a chicken and question everything once again before she reached Walter who greeted her with a smile. "Walter," she smiled back. "How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly well," Walter said. His cheeks were reddened together with his nose, and his eyes were drowsy but content. "Considering." Then he raised his pint. "For Albion!"

"For Albion!" the other's replied and followed his example.

Walter laughed and looked at Andrea. "No, I'm feeling well."

"I'm glad to hear that," Andrea nodded.

"Your Highness," Kalin said, "do you agree that departure on the morrow is our best option?"

"Yes," Andrea said. "Yes, that is best." She clenched her jaw. The clock was ticking.

"How have you been while I was out?" Walter asked, with a father's concern.

"Good," Andrea assured him. "Kalin and Ben have helped me a lot."

Walter nodded. "Told you that Ben would survive."

"You did," Andrea smiled.

"Where is the sodding bastard anyway?" Walter asked.

"I don't know," Andrea sighed. "I think he's chasing one of those young girls."

Walter laughed. "Oh, he's never going to change."

Andrea smiled iffily. As she then sat back and listened to Walter and Kalin on their discussion of how they would get the city of Aurora to flourish once more, she felt how the clock was ticking. Her heart was racing as she felt like her time was soon up. She took a deep breath and looked at Walter. "I think I'll go to bed. I'm a bit tired, and we've got a long day tomorrow, so…"

"Alright," Walter said and nodded. "Goodnight, Andrea."

"Goodnight, Walter," Andrea said and rose. "Goodnight, Kalin."

"Sleep well, your Highness."

Andrea nodded and turned to walk away as she heard another one boom "For Albion!" after which the whole party replied. She let Boulder take care of Bernard for the evening, and as she walked further towards the city, she diverted behind some rocks, so that no one would see her. Then she hurried away across the western beach all the way to the northern. It was dark, and Andrea wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered. She did not like the dark. She looked around. Ben hadn't arrived yet, and Andrea feared he wouldn't come. But he would, right? She paced back and forth in the dark, feeling how the worry grew with each step. Finally, she decided to gather some driftwood and light a fire, and once the fire was going, the light filler her with courage. She sat down and waited. She was confident he would show up eventually. Perhaps he had just forgotten about the time? She would give him another five minutes. But as the fire burned, and as she had to fetch more wood again and again, and the Captain had still not showed up, she felt strangely abandoned. Had he forgotten about her? No, he wouldn't. He simply wouldn't, would he? She sighed and pulled her knees up to her chin. "He'll be here," she said. "He will." But the longer she waited, the heaver her chest became, and the more she realised that he simply wouldn't come.

She was humming her mother's lullaby for perhaps the tenth time when she suddenly heard footsteps in the sand. She turned her head, and from the lights cast by the burning fire, she saw a tall, blonde soldier march towards her, and her heart skipped a beat. He walked with determined steps, his eyes dead set on her.

"You're late," she muttered as he all of a sudden fell on his knees before her. But instead of answering and explaining why he was so bloody late, he clashed his lips onto hers, so roughly and passionately, she was completely overwhelmed. As he brought his hands around her neck and waist, she ran her hands through his hair and once again, she found herself completely in his power. He carefully pushed her down on the sand, and she felt his body weight her down. When she felt the damp sand hit her back, she snapped out of her lost state and blood rushed to her face as she blushed violently. She broke the kiss and with a gasp and stared at him. "You said we were just going to talk!"

"No," he breathed and stared back, his blue eyes illuminated by passion and desire. "No talking." He then covered her mouth with his, and she did not interrupt again.

It was as if she had known this would happen all along, and did not fight it one bit. It was almost as if all they had been through together, all their quarrels, all the secret longing had been leading to this. Alone on the remote beach, next to a warming fire, their hands were exploring each other's bodies, tugging off shirts and trousers as if they hadn't done anything else. Their lips rarely left each other, and when they did, they always tended to reach for another part of the other's body. It was skin against skin, flesh against flesh, and for once, both of them succeeded to put each other's differences aside. There was no royalty, no fancy titles amongst them now, as they both embraced both the simplicity as well as the intricacy of their bodies' desire.

Andrea ran her hands over the Captain's bare chest, feeling every muscle, every scar and every blond curl, and even though she had both dreaded and longed for this moment, felt like no moment could have been more perfect; they were on the verge of a new era, and once they returned to Albion, everything would change, and this, this was the perfect ending to this chapter of her life. Captain Benjamin Finn; finally, he was hers.

**.:*Ö*:.**

He made the right decision. He made the right decision by meeting the Princess and putting his foot down, telling her that he was not to be trifled with. He knew it was the right decision, because he had gotten what he wanted out of it; he had gotten _her_.

His hands were shaking of anticipation as he let them run across the Princess's chest and down to grab hold of her hips. She was ready for him, and she was breathing his name, passionately and longingly, and it aroused him even more, if it was even possible. There was no doubts, no second thoughts as he finally entered her, carefully and tenderly, and they both breathed heavily as they worked together in a flowingly dance. It had been almost seven months since Ben had been with a woman, and even though he did not want to think of it that way, he couldn't help but to feel that if he had been forced to wait one more day for the Princess, he would go mad. But here they were, so entangled, there was no way of seeing where the first one ended and where the other one began, and no even though Ben had danced this particular dance before, it had never felt so dangerous and daring and yet so right before.

As they both reached their climax, he felt her nail digging into his damp shoulders like claws, and none of them restrained themselves and let the silent and clear night air be filled with their sharp breaths and moans. After a couple of deep breaths, he collapsed in top of her, both laughing exhaustedly.

"This isn't exactly what I would consider 'a talk'," Andrea said, her voice shaking almost as much as her body.

"I didn't really feel it was necessary," Ben smirked and kissed her lips. "I think we've both made our point."

"Well…" Andrea said, but Ben grunted and rose to a sitting position next to her and observed with a smirk how the firelight danced exotically over her naked body.

"Nothing you say can take this away from me, Andrea," he said. What was he doing, really? Who was he trying to fool? Did he think that by proving he wanted her so badly that he would do something as reckless as this, would secure him the Princess's love and affection, or was it all just a race for prestige? No matter, he knew he couldn't trust himself. Perhaps it was for the better to just let her go? "And, now when you're going to marry Elliot, well, at least you know what a real man feels like."

Andrea sat up, too. "What?"

Ben clenched his jaw. He had always known it all would end that way anyway, so why not just admit it? "Look Andrea, ever since I first met you, you've gone on and on about how much you love Elliot," he said while he grabbed Andrea's blouse and handed it over to her. She took it, with an utterly confused and somewhat devastated face. "This… well, this was amazing. This was absolutely amazing," he leaned towards her with a smile and kissed her, "and I would never, not for anything in the world, wish this undone." He sighed. "But you love Elliot. I shouldn't change that. I _can't_ change that."

She knitted her brows, far more offended than he thought. "Do you really think that if I loved Elliot, I would do this with you and not him?"

He raised his brows. "So… you're saying that you don't love Elliot, and that you love _me_ now?" He had no idea what to think of the whole situation. Love? Did the Princess _love_ him?

"No!" Andrea said and looked away. "I'm—I'm saying—I'm saying that I… don't know."

He grabbed her chin and looked into her eyes. "What is it that you don't know?"

She blinked, a devastated gleam playing across her eyes as she opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. She then took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, before she pressed out; "How I feel… about—about you."

Ben clenched his jaw. He had always wanted her to want him, but deep down, he had always known that it would be impossible, so he hadn't really explored the thought of love in any way. He didn't want her to love him if he couldn't guarantee loving her back. If it was the other way round, he would have been able to live with it, but he couldn't stand seeing her hurt, and he knew that in time, he would hurt her. "Andrea…" He sighed. "You are going to regret letting Elliot go for someone like me." _What in Skorm's name am I saying?_ "And maybe… maybe this was just a… let's just say it was inevitable, and it would happen sooner or later. But this won't work in the long run." _You are officially an arse, Benjamin Finn._

**.:*Ö*:.**

In a matter of seconds, her chest felt as if it was imploding, and her whole body went numb. _It was inevitable_. Tonight had been so special to her, but to him, it hadn't been more than a simple… shag. Blood rushed to her face, out of shame and embarrassment, and she wiggled her way out of Ben's grip and pulled her blouse over her head to cover her body. "So this—this meant nothing to you? I'm—I'm just another statistic?"

Ben knitted his brows. "No. Why would you think that?"

"Then why are you doing this to me?" She was shaking of both anger and humiliation, and she was trembling. She felt so stupid.

"Andrea!" Ben groaned. "Don't be like this! Do you really want to go back to Albion and tell Elliot, who _proposed_ to you, that you slept with an old scoundrel like me? What would the people of Albion say?"

"If you care so much about my honour, then why did you do it?" Andrea cried.

"I—" he inhaled sharply. "That's not a fair question, Andrea."

"Is it not?" With a growl, she reached for her undergarments, her trousers and corset and put it all back on as fast as she could. The corset remained poorly laced, and the bodice remained in her hand as she rose and looked down on him. Tears wanted to escape her eyes, but she held them back. She wouldn't cry. Not for such a bastard. But she still couldn't believe how stupid she had been!

Ben sighed and reached for his trousers and pulled them on. He stood up and now, Andrea had to look up to still keep eye contact. "I never meant to hurt you, Princess," he said. His bare chest was rising and falling rapidly, and Andrea didn't know if it was because of anger or remorse. She hoped for the latter. "You know how much I want you, and you probably knew that far before I did! Why would I use you?"

"Then why are you rejecting me like this?" She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Nothing of what he said made any sense whatsoever, and she felt more like a silly, lovesick child than ever. She had to look away from him.

He moved his hand to the side of her face and touched her ever so softly and caressed her chin and lips with his thumb. "Reject you?" He smiled neurotically. "I would never—this isn't a rejection, Andrea! It's just—I don't want to… I don't want to ruin you!"

She shook her head and sobbed. She didn't understand. Ruin her?

He sighed and removed his hand from her face to bring both of his hands to his own face and growled. "You have to understand how horrible this is for me?" He looked at her with a frown. "I have been with numerous women, Andrea, but no one – _no one!_ – has been as special as you! I—no one has made me feel this way! And that is why we have to end it, before I hurt you, because eventually, I will! And we both now that!" He exhaled deeply and brought his hands to the top of his head and started to pace back and forth.

"Up to this point, I never actually thought you _would_ hurt me," Andrea breathed.

"Well, then you don't know me very well," Ben muttered. "That was the real reason to why mine and Alyssa's romance ended the way it did! I can't keep a relationship! I can't _be_ there for a person as a relationship requires! I always mess thing up! Alyssa knew that and we both agreed on that it would be better to go separate ways before anyone of us got hurt."

Andrea didn't want to listen to this. "If that is true, then why in Avo's name did you come here tonight of all nights, determined to have me?"

"Because I'm weak!" Ben roared and stared at her. "I couldn't resist! I wanted you too much, and I still do, and that's where it gets dangerous!" He huffed. "Do you want to know what really happened that night in Industrial? The one you can't remember?"

She didn't understand… what had happened? Why was he bringing that up? "What happened?" She croaked.

"We kissed!" he said. "And rather intensely, too! Andrea, I was ready to use you then already, but you realised what we were doing, and you slapped me silly! Literally! Don't you see? I am a worthless scoundrel!" He frowned and sloped his shoulders. "I can't help myself! I drink, I fight, I chase women, I'm big-mouthed, I commit crimes… honestly Princess, is that the kind of man you would want by your side?"

Andrea stared at him. She knew he did all of that, but she also knew he was an honest man. If he wasn't, she wouldn't have fallen for him in the first place. Had she fallen for him? Yes. There was no point in denying it any longer. She had fallen, head first, in love with the devilishly handsome soldier, but denied it, and somewhere along the line, she had forgotten all about it. "You could change."

Ben frowned again and laughed and shook his head as he crouched down with his hands on his head. "Andrea, I'm nearly thirty years old. Never – not once – in my life have I had an honest relationship, and it's not because I don't want to, it's because I can't!"

"Or maybe it's because you haven't tried," Andrea said. "Maybe you've been so scared to hurt people, you've never even tried."

He sighed and sat down. "Maybe, but for good reason." He looked at her. "Andrea, no matter what I do, I always tent to make people bleed, literally as metaphorically." He sighed again and chuckled darkly. "I guess I'm too good a shot."

It hit her like a brick wall; the flash of Ben shooting her heart, making her bleed. She had dreamt it… so, she had known? She had known all along that he would hurt her?

Ben sighed and rose. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. He then clenched his jaw and looked at her. "I never meant to hurt you. Never. But I always tend to do. This wasn't just another—you're not just another statistic to me, Andrea, I promise. I may be a bastard, but at least I'm honest."

Andrea looked away and dried her eyes with her sleeve. She didn't know what to do. Oh, why did she like him so much? She inhaled sharply. "Well, now when you've already hurt me, then why not try to make it work?"

Ben shook his head. "It's foolish, Princess. You know that as well as I."

She looked at him. "You don't even what to try?" She knew she sounded like a begging child, but her time here in Aurora, with Ben, had made her realise that he was the one she wanted. He was the one.

He eyed her with a frown and walked closer to her. "If we do this, I can't promise I won't hurt you."

"I'm a Hero," Andrea smiled, and her salty tears ran down the corner of her lips. "I can take it."

He walked even closer, and cupped her face. "I'll make you a deal," he said. "I'll try, if you promise, and I can't believe I'm saying this, that you'll marry Elliot."

"What?" she breathed and grabbed his hands cupping her face. "No, I—I can't be with him and you at the same time!"

"I'm not asking you to," he said. "As soon as you and Elliot marry, what we have will end."

"Why do you want me to marry _Elliot_?" She didn't understand. Nothing made sense to her now!

"Because you can't do this alone!" Ben said. "You need someone by your side, and Elliot is the perfect candidate, no matter how much I may hate it! He loves you, unconditionally, and he will be there. That's what you need."

"No," Andrea said and shook her head. "No, I don't have be married. I—I could be Queen, and you could be—be Major, or General, and—"

"No, no, no, no, Andrea," Ben sighed. "That will never work. No, Elliot would be your perfect King."

"What about you?"

"Me?" he smiled. "King? Can you really see _me_ as royal? No." He caressed her softly with the back of his hand. "I'm not King material, and I'll never be. Marry Elliot. Do it for me, so that I'll know that if – or when – I hurt you, you will have someone to lean on. And if not for me, then do it for Albion."

"'For Albion'," Andrea muttered. "I'm sick of that line."

"Do it for yourself, then," Ben said and leaned forwards.

Andrea's hears skipped a beat as she felt his breath upon her face. She wanted to kiss him again, but he held her in place. "Alright," she breathed, desperate to have him again. "I'll marry him. For you."

"Good girl," he said and leaned in to kiss her. As their lips met, Andrea pressed herself closer to him, and he released her face to slide his arms around her waist. Their tongues explored the insides of each other's mouths, but suddenly, she gasped and pulled away.

"Wait a minute," she breathed. "You're thirty?"

Ben laughed. "What did you think? That I was young and fresh and twenty-one?"

Andrea blushed and looked away, an embarrassed smile spreading across her lips. Of course she knew Ben was older than her, but perhaps not that much older.

"Why, does it bother you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, no, it doesn't," she said. "I just hope you don't find me too young."

He raised a brow. "If I did, would I be here now?"

She looked at him. "No?"

He smirked. "That's right." Again, their lips were connected, and now, her heart rate was a bit higher than before. She had won him. Sort of… they broke the kiss, and Andrea leaned her head against his chest. She found it somewhat comical that they both changed their minds so quickly and so often, when it was so obvious what they both wanted.

"We should get back," Ben said. "You're right; if Walter finds out, I'm a dead man."

"You are," Andrea sighed. But, he was right. They should head back. "So, we will have to keep it a secret."

"Aye," Ben smirked, "our dirty little secret."

Andrea giggled and nudged him in the chest. "Come on, let's go back."

"Dress properly first," he said. "You don't want to appear to Walter and Kalin, dressed like that."

Again, she knew he was right, and she dressed properly. Ben helped her lace her corset, and once her boots were on, and his uniform, they made their way back towards the city, where they went separate ways after a discreet goodnight kiss, and Andrea headed to her sleeping quarters, processing the night's events and the challenges of tomorrow. That night, her dreams were characterised by the words "for Albion" and her fear for the future, and were filled with slashing swords, shooting guns, people shouting for King and country, blood splatter, the throne, and a very handsome, blond sharpshooter. Yes, her sleep was indeed filled with fear, but also excitement.


	14. The Involuntary Monarch

**A/N: **I'm so freaking tired right now.. it's almost 5 am over here, and yes, I'm completely mental. Anyway, I got this chapter ready for you! :) Hope you all like it!

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Fourteen**_  
The Involuntary Monarch_

She stood at the bow as the ship sailed across the ocean, with Bernard at her feet, waiting for the approaching land ahead. She was nervous. Did she really want to become Queen? Was she ready to shoulder such responsibility? She looked behind her. Walter, Page and Kalin were discussing different strategies, Ben stood by the helm and Sabine was standing next to him, humming gleefully. She let her eyes linger on Ben for a moment, and her lips curled into a smile. Her Captain… two weeks ago, she wouldn't even dare to think about the scoundrel the way she did now. Everything was different, and even though she knew that pain might await her, she still felt like she would be alright. She would have Ben, at least for a while. However, she had made a foolish promise to marry Elliot, and she wasn't all too happy about that. How could she marry Elliot when her heart belonged to someone else? And did that someone else even want it? She sighed as she turned her head back towards the horizon. A knot had been forming in her chest; a knot she never thought she'd get. When she lived in the castle, she was overly confident about herself. She thought she could have any man she wanted, but the longer she had been away from the castle, the more she had started to realise that she was nothing special, and to the men she fought alongside, she was nothing but a spoiled child. The knot in her chest was worry; was she enough for Captain Finn, even though he had said he wanted her? Did she satisfy him, even though he had loads of experience and she none? But whenever she thought about the previous night, her body tingled, and whenever their eyes met, he gave her that devilishly handsome smirk, which made her knees shake. They had barely spoken this morning, due to all the commotion. Kalin had been shouting orders back and forth to her soldiers, and Ben and Walter had been busy trying to convince Sabine that they didn't have enough ships to let him and his five Dwellers travelling with him have their own, since they already had three full ships. Andrea couldn't keep from smiling whenever she listened to the small, stubborn, old man talk about his people so proudly. A lot of good people believed in her, so why didn't she believe in herself?

**.:*Ö*:.**

Oh, Ben had always enjoyed being out on sea. The salty wind in his hair, the sound of the waves as they hit the hull of the ship, the steady vibration of the helm, the booming sounds of the sails stretching out… no matter how embarrassed he was for being a ruthless pirate once, he couldn't deny the thrill of it. There was an open and liberated feeling of being out on the open blue, with the world in ones palm. Nevertheless, now there was no option. He was heading towards Bowerstone, towards war. He looked towards the young woman whose war he was about to fight. She had her eyes turned towards the horizon, and he clenched his jaw. Last night had been... turbulent, to say the least. He wished he had handled it better. To be honest, he wished he had never gone there. He didn't regret it, he just… wished he never went there. If he hadn't decided to go there, he would have dealt with his desires on his own and had it done with. Sure, he would have yearned for the Princess, and he still did, but he would have been able to keep it to himself. Instead, he was now facing a seemingly impossible challenge. How would he be able to have an affair with a Queen, an engaged Queen, no less, without anyone noticing? How would he feel seeing Andrea and Elliot together? But perhaps the biggest question of them all was if he could truly leave her when their time was up? He watched her as she left the bow and headed down below deck, and he quickly asked an Auroran man standing next to him to take over the helm while he followed the Princess down below. There were some people down there, but most of them enjoyed the sunny day up on deck. Ben walked towards the room at the stern, where the Princess resided for the journey. He knocked carefully on the door.

"_If it's you, Walter, the answer is no; I'm not seasick!_" he heard her call.

"It's not Walter," Ben said, and he immediately heard hurrying steps towards the door, and it opened. Andrea looked up at him with widened eyes.

"Ben!" she smiled as she stepped aside. "Please, come in."

Ben nodded and entered the small cabin and Andrea closed the door behind him.

"You think the men could run the ship without you up there?" she asked and smiled iffily.

Ben chuckled. "I think they'll manage," he smirked as he let his hand slide around Andrea's waist. "So, my dear, how are you?"

"I'm fine," she smiled and put her hands around his neck.

"No, I mean; how are you?" he asked again. "We'll dock early in the morning."

"Oh," Andrea said and looked away. "Well, I… I guess I'm alright." Then she sighed. "I just… am I really fit to be Queen?" She looked up at him.

Ben smiled. "Andrea, are you not born to be Queen? When we get to Bowerstone, there will be loads of people fighting for you! Every man and woman of the city will be fighting for you! It's you they want on the throne, not Logan!"

Andrea sighed unhappily. "But am I ready? Am I ready to rule?"

"When I first met you, I honestly thought you would be the end of this kingdom," Ben said and raised a brow. "You were spoiled, stubborn, childish and arrogant, but you know what? You're not that person anymore. All you've been though has shaped you, Andrea, and it has shaped you into a true leader. All you have to do, is to embrace the new you."

"But what if I can't do a better job than Logan?" Andrea cried. "What if I'm an even worse regent? My mother worked so hard to unite this kingdom, and what if I destroy it altogether?"

"You won't," Ben assured her. "Trust me; you won't." He bent down to kiss her, and he never wanted to let her go.

"Ben," Andrea said when they'd broken the kiss. "What will happen when we get back?"

"We'll fight," Ben chuckled.

"No, I mean; what will happen to us?"

"Oh." Ben knitted his brows. "Well, I guess we will have to… I don't know, sneak around? You will have to attend all of the official gatherings with Elliot, though."

She sighed heavily. "I don't know if I can do this, Ben! And besides, why do you think it would be so awful if they found out about us? When we get back, you'll be Major, and that's a very respectable title! And would it really be so surprising for the others, after all we've been through together?"

"Andrea, don't make me go over this again," Ben sighed. "You… you have to marry! You have to have someone by your side, through better or worse, someone who could share your burden as regent, and someone who could represent this kingdom—"

"And who would do that better than you?" Andrea cried. "Ben, you are the perfect leader! The people listen to you! They would follow you into death's realm if they had to! Don't misunderstand me; I'm not telling you we should marry. All I am saying is that you, as Major, could stand by my side, and the people wouldn't mind. They wouldn't think less of me if I chose to stay unmarried."

Ben sighed heavily. "Andrea, I—I can't. I just can't." He tried to convince himself that he didn't want to be with her like that, and that whatever they had, would run its course and end before it got too serious, but at the same time, he couldn't let go of the feeling that they belonged together. The only thing was, that no matter how he felt about her, he would hurt her eventually. It was a bad habit that simply wouldn't go away, no matter how much he tried to make it disappear. "We had a deal." He clenched his jaw.

"You're still afraid you'll hurt me?" she whispered.

He sighed. "Look, let's just… if you keep your side of the bargain, I'll keep mine." He leaned in and kissed her again, and when he broke the kiss, her face told him, he'd hurt her already.

**.:*Ö*:.**

So stubborn. He was so stubborn. But how was she to judge? She had been stubborn her whole life. "Alright," she said. "I'll accept Elliot's proposal, if that's what you want."

Ben chuckled darkly. "Right…"

"But you have to promise me to help me through this." She leaned her head against his chest, and he stroked her hair tenderly.

"That, I promise."

At least with that, she was content. The following morning, the Bowerstone skyline graced the horizon, and as the crew aboard the ship readied themselves for war, Andrea sat in her quarters, breathing. "You can do this," she told herself as she slowly stirred up the magic inside her. "You can do this. You were born a Queen. You can do this. You can do this…" She repeated the same words time and again before she finally opened the door and joined the others. Walter, Page, Ben, Kalin and Sabine were all standing around a map, discussing strategies.

"I take a small group of soldiers down this route and blow up the west barracks," Page said. "It will draw their attention and open up the main route."

"How's that better than my idea?" Ben cried.

"We will live longer than a few seconds?" Kalin said and raised a brow.

"Oh, well, now you're just picking holes," Ben chuckled.

"Give it up, boy," Sabine sighed. "What I want to know is what my men need to do."

"That's for the future Queen to decide," Walter said and looked at Andrea.

Andrea, who had until now, resided in the background, took a nervous step forwards. All of the others were looking at her, and she swallowed. "Page knows the city best," she said. "We'll follow her plan." She met Ben's eyes, and quickly looked away. She hoped he had just given a plan to annoy Page. Wouldn't be the first time…

"Fine," he said. "I only put mine forward to annoy her, anyway." He smirked.

"I see you've really matured on your travels," Page muttered. Then she turned to Andrea. "If you look at the map, we can go through the details."

"My ships will take you the beach here," Kalin said and pointed out a location on the map.

"We expect heavy mortar fire, but most of Logan's soldier will be busy dealing with Page and her men," Walter said.

"I want to be in the thick of the smoke and the fire and the glory," Sabine said dramatically. "If Page take the west route, it's only fair I take the east."

"Which leaves the centre to us," Ben said and chuckled. "Less chance of getting lost."

"Then we're agreed," Walter said.

Andrea looked at Walter, worried that he might be more tired than he showed. "Are you sure you're up to this, Walter?"

"Oh, don't worry about me," he said. "I may feel old and tired, but the day hasn't come yet when I can't charge into a good old-fashioned fight." Andrea nodded, and the six of them joined hands in the middle of the map, and Walter raised his voice to say, "Let the battle for Albion begin!"

Kalin jumped ships as they slowly made their way towards the beach to ready the cannons, and they all understood that the battle had already begun. From where they anchored the first ship, they could hear guns and mortars roaring in the distance, as well as men and women, all fighting for life and freedom. Page, together with her men, roared at the top of their lungs, as they dove into the water and swam towards the beach, on which they then headed west, while Boulder lifted Sabine to his shoulders as they, too, swam off together with their Dwellers. The Aurorans were still commanding the ships, readying the cannons, for a heavy attack. Andrea, together with Walter, Ben and Bernard, dove from the ship, as well, and started swimming towards the beach. However, before any of them could react, a huge bang was heard, and a cannon ball hit the hull of one of the ships, the same ship Andrea and the others had just been on.

Andrea gasped loudly as she emerged up on the sandy beach from the water.

"Our people are getting torn to shreds out there!" Ben cried and pointed up towards the city. "They need our help!"

"But, what about the ship?" Andrea cried and pointed at the sinking ship.

"We need to take care of that mortar!" Walter cried.

"We've already lost one ship!" Ben roared and tugged at Walter's sleeve. "Kalin's could be next! Come on!"

"He's right," Walter said and looked at Andrea. "It's time you led from the front. We'll follow every step of the way. Ready?"

Andrea swallowed and nodded nervously.

"Let's go!" Walter said as he started running up towards the city, chased by Bernard. Ben and Andrea followed.

Logan's men were everywhere, and their bullets we're raining over them. Some members of the Royal Army – Ben's army now – were standing their grounds and defending themselves against the cold, robotic, masked soldiers Logan had paid through his nose to train. Andrea let the magic inside of her run wild as she released wave after wave of fire and electricity, and more than one man burned. Walter slashed with his enormous sword, and Ben shot wildly, with a strangely satisfied expression on his face.

"This is the moment you've been waiting for, isn't it?" Ben smiled maniacally as he aimed his rifle at one of the soldiers. "Well, waiting's over." All it took was one shot, and the bullet penetrated the thick plate covering their faces, and exited on the other side of the skull. And the fight continued in the same fashion; they worked their way through Logan's men, and the closer they got to the city gates, the more nervous Andrea became.

"If we can't get past those gates," Walter roared as he stabbed body after body with his sword, "this battle is already over!" The killed another two men. "The longer we stall, the more of our people we lose!"

"Well, will someone get that _bloody_ mortar?" Ben growled.

"Andrea!" Walter shouted. "Get the mortar! We'll cover for you! Run!"

Andrea nodded and sprinted up the path, dodging bullets and swords while releasing waves of magic. She had her eyes set on one thing only; that bloody mortar. And there, right by the gates, the mortar was stationed. One man was standing by it, and as he saw Andrea coming closer, he abandoned the mortar to reach for his rifle. "Oh no, you don't!" Andrea shouted and released a massive ball of fire which hit the soldier right in the chest, and he fell over the edge, burning and screaming. She looked down towards the path where Walter, Ben and the Royal Army had killed almost every Elite Soldier. "I did it!"

"The mortar's down!" Walter bellowed out over their men as he and Ben joined Andrea by the gates.

"The Auroran ships should be able to move in closer now," Ben said tensely and looked out over the sea. "Come on, Kalin," he said through gritted teeth. "Do your stuff!"

The ships were seen moving in closer, and Kalin's voice was heard shouting something in a foreign language.

"Get down!" Ben shouted as he suddenly tackled Andrea to the ground. She felt him weighing her down, covering her from potentially dangerous flying objects, and even though they were in the midst of a war, she still couldn't help but to blush at this sudden intimacy. He covered her fully as the smoke and ash whirled around in the air. When it had settled a bit, he moved away from her and looked at the gates that were now only scattered shards of wood. "That's my girl!" he cheered and raised his fist towards the ships in triumph. He then stood up and pulled Andrea to her feet. She quickly dusted herself off and readied herself for the next phase of the battle.

"Let's take the fight into the city!" Walter boomed as he charged the soldiers waiting on the other side of the gates. "Ah! A bit of close combat! This is more like it! Recognise old Walter, you Hobbe-botherers?"

"How are you feeling, Walter?" Ben chuckled as he joined in the fight.

Andrea followed, her hands already charged with magic.

"Better, if you'd stop asking me!" Walter snapped at Ben as the two of them fought stubbornly alongside each other. "Now, let's go!"

Andrea was a bit ahead of them, releasing a huge wave of electricity, causing five men to cramp by electrocution. And so the fight went on. They kept on fighting, all three of them using one discipline each, and whenever Ben got close enough, Andrea heard him compliment her for her magical abilities and her tricks. They worked their way through the streets of Old Quarter, and just as they thought the path ahead was clear, there was a loud explosion, and a whole house came tumbling down. Once again, Ben decided to protect Andrea, and pulled her closed to him as the remains of the house landed barely ten feet away from them. They coughed from the dust, and Andrea's ears were ringing from the loud bang.

From out the dust, two figures came walking, one huge and one small one, and the familiar voice of the Dweller leader echoed through the ruins, "Is this not the grandest time you ever had?" He laughed maniacally as he approached Andrea, Walter and Ben.

"Sabine!" Walter growled. "You almost blew us up!"

"You saw?" Sabine said. "A glorious beacon of freedom burning in the night for all the—"

But before he could finish his dramatic sentence, Boulder interrupted him by expressing very anxious moans.

Sabine turned to his big companion. "What is it, Boulder?"

Boulder pointed towards the sky with his giant hand as a grenade came flying towards them.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Sabine exclaimed. "Move! Move!" And with that, the two Dwellers were gone, and the grenade hit the ground, causing another loud bang.

After recovering from the most recent bang, Walter looked around. "It'll take more than a grenade to finish off that old sod."

"Meanwhile," Ben said, restlessly, "let's do what he says and get moving, shall we?"

"Yes," Andrea said. "Yes, let's go." In truth, she didn't know if she really wanted to continue. The longer she had to fight, the more convinced did she get that she wasn't good enough to rule a whole country. But, she did her part and kept fighting, and slowly but steadily, they closed in on the castle gates. When the last soldier was down, the heavy wooden gates were the only thing stopping them to enter the castle.

"Another gate," Ben muttered. "I don't think Kalin's going to be able to blow this one up." Then he sighed. "I thought people were supposed to open doors for Queens, not the other way round!"

"Shut up, Ben," Walter muttered. Then a familiar roar was heard from the streets below them. "Look, it's Page! That girl knows how to handle herself. Come on! Let's get down there. Maybe we could get through those gates."

"What?" Ben cried. "_Another _gate? How many of those bloody things are there?"

"You'd be surprised of how many trees had to sacrifice their lives to build those gates," Andrea muttered as the three of them, plus Bernard, jumped on rooftops and on fallen houses to get down to the streets where Page and her men fought. As they reached the street, they were greeted by more of Logan's soldiers.

"There's more of them?" Ben growled, vexed. "Do they never end?" And yet, there were more coming towards them. "Look at that," Ben huffed. "It's almost like they're expecting us! Say what you want about Logan's army, they really know how to make you feel welcome!"

"There's no way we're getting through that barricade!" Walter said.

"Oh, please," Ben said and rolled his eyes. "We're in a street! Haven't you noticed all the houses and doors? We just need to perpetrate a little breaking and entering, followed by some flanking and filleting."

"Yes," Walter said, "right you are."

"Right, come on!" Ben said and grabbed Andrea's arm. They fought their way through the guards, and ran through a house or two, before they ended up on the street behind the barricade.

"Come on Page, where are you?" Walter muttered and looked around. And there, coming from the west, came Page and her men. Walter chuckled triumphantly. "Page!"

"Oh, about bloody time!" Ben growled.

"My men are taking care of the east barracks, but I couldn't leave you out here alone!" Page panted.

"That deserves a round of applauds," Ben scoffed.

Andrea rolled her eyes, and Page shot his a poisonous glare. But the fight continued. Logan's soldiers fell one by one, but not without cost. Page had lost many of her men, and so had Ben. And not to mention the villagers… Andrea couldn't help but to feel responsible for their deaths, and it didn't exactly help her already anxious feeling about becoming regent.

Slowly, they worked their way towards the next gate, and as the last soldier was down, killed by Ben, he stood smirking.

"Elite Soldiers, my arse!" he scoffed.

"Stay alert," Walter warned. "There'll be more coming. We have to find a way past this gate."

"Always with the damn gates!" Ben growled tiredly.

"What we need are explosives," Page said. "But I used mine up on the way here."

"If we only knew some sort of tiny, crazy old man who enjoyed blowing things up…" Ben said sarcastically, but just as he had finished the sentence, the gates burst open with a sharp bang, and when the dust had scattered, Boulder and Sabine was seen walking towards them.

Sabine laughed triumphantly. "Did you see that, Boulder? Let the whole city bow to our thunder!"

"Hang on," Ben said and raised a brow, "how did you get to the other side in the first place?"

"Dwellers have their ways, my boy," Sabine shrugged. "Is there anyone left to kill?"

"There will be more soon," Page said. "More troops are on the way. Kalin's fleet got a fair few, but not all."

"We'll hold them off," Ben said and nodded.

"Come on, Boulder," the small, old man said and tapped his staff on Boulder's tummy. "There's more fighting to be done." And with that, the two Dwellers once again walked away and disappeared.

Ben turned to Andrea with a smile, and she wanted nothing else but to have his arms around her. "Good luck in there," he said and winked. "Hope the crown fits."

Walter smiled, too. "Let's finish this for good, while I can still stand up on my own."

Andrea closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she nodded. She didn't really want to do this, but she had no choice… she said her goodbyes to Page and to Ben, in case something would go horribly wrong, and then she and Walter headed towards the castle. The way there was clear, and they hurried along the street and entered the castle. A knot appeared in Andrea's stomach as she entered her home, the place she escaped months ago, and all of a sudden she felt as if she never left. They ran up those stairs she had run up and down so many times during her childhood, and ran through the same halls both Walter, Jasper, Logan and servants had chased Andrea through numerous times. Another painful jolt of anxiety and second thoughts hit her. They stopped right outside the doors to Logan's war-room, and Andrea took a couple of deep breaths. What would her brother think of her now?

Walter looked at her with a smirk. "Should we knock?" Then the smirk grew wider. "Nah, let's surprise him." With a collective kick, they succeeded to break down the door, facing Logan hunched over the map-table, looking at them with his steel-grey eyes.

"So this is how it ends," he said dryly. "The old fool, and the child who ran away." He straightened and sighed. "You've finally become the woman I've always wanted you to be."

"She's a lot more than that," Walter growled and walked towards the fallen King. "And now she's ready to take your place!"

Logan sighed, his eyes weary. "Perhaps the time has come for someone else to lead Albion."

Andrea's heart ached. This was her brother, and he was hurt. "You were never a leader," Andrea croaked, "ju—just another tyrant."

"Did it ever occur to you that I may have had good reason to be?" Logan asked and looked at her with that same arrogant and patronizing gaze he'd always had.

"We're not interested in your reasons!" Walter growled.

Logan snapped his head towards the old knight. "Cower behind ignorance if you will, but my sister deserves to know the truth."

"Save it for the trial, Logan," Walter muttered and grabbed hold of Logan's arm. "You can beg for your life then."

"No, wait!" Andrea suddenly cried. She looked at Logan, and she tried to understand. "I want to hear your reasons."

Logan glared at Walter, who reluctantly released his arm. He then turned his eyes back to Andrea. "The Darkness," he said, and both Andrea and Walter froze.

"What do you mean?" Andrea breathed.

Logan sighed heavily and leaned his arms against the map-table, staring at it aimlessly yet intensely. "Four years ago, I went to Aurora," he began. "I went there, stupid and naive, thinking I could defeat the threat the Aurorans had pleaded for help to defeat, desperately hoping that that would be the answer to mother's death. But I couldn't… I saw my men fall, one by one, until it was only I left in that cave." He closed his eyes, and an indescribable pain played across his face. Andrea carefully put her hand on his arm. He sighed and opened his eyes again. "Kalin took me in, nursed me back to life. That was when I was positive that it was the same thing that killed our mother. But while I was out, Theresa, our mother's guide, appeared to me, and she showed me how the Darkness should spread across the kingdom and devour everything in its way," Logan continued, and every strand of hair on Andrea's body was standing. "I had five years to raise an army strong enough to stand against the growing Darkness. Five years…" He looked at Andrea, and she guessed he understood she had gone through the same thing. "So, you understand now why I had to do what I did?"

She shook her head. "I… I can't believe it…"

"Well, it's the truth," Logan sighed. "Give me whatever punishment you wish, dearest sister, but please, try to understand. If I had a better choice, I wouldn't have acted the way I did."

"Tell that to the people," Walter muttered and nodded out the window. The war was apparently over. The people of Bowerstone had gathered outside of the castle and were cheering Andrea's name.

Andrea gasped. "You should! You truly should!"

"What?" Logan looked at her with a raised brow. "Andrea, what are you—"

"Do it!" Andrea continued. "Regain some dignity by telling the people the truth!"

Logan shook his head. "I can't. They wouldn't understand."

"How can you know before you've tried?" Andrea asked. "Just do it! Please?"

He looked at her, and Andrea gave him the same look she always did when she wanted to have her will. And, as always, he couldn't say no to her.

"Fine," he muttered, and with that, Andrea, Logan and Walter left the war-room to walk out on the balcony. The first sight of Logan made the people shout in dismay, but as Walter boomed for them to be quiet, they all obeyed. Logan then proceeded, reluctantly, to tell about the Darkness, what threat it was and that it was going to overtake Albion. In the crowd, there were both gasps of fear and growls of displeasure.

Andrea sighed unhappily. She then saw how Ben was walking out on the balcony from inside the castle. He smiled at her and nodded in recognition. Then they both turned towards Logan, and Ben growled under his breath as his hand landed on the grip stock of his pistol. Andrea put a hand on his arm, trying to calm him.

"People of Albion," Logan cried, "I do not ask you to understand. I do not ask you to sympathise. I only ask you to listen; I have been a monstrous King." He sighed and removed the crown from his head and rotated it in his hands before he looked up again. "I have neglected many of you, and I have wronged ever more. But I want all of you is to know; I would see Albion destroyed before I surrendered it to the Darkness." The crowd was silent. Andrea stood behind him, worrying that Ben, who still gripped the grip stock of his pistol rather tightly, would do something heady. "I do not ask of you forgiveness. I do not ask of you acceptance. All I ask of you is to hear me when I say this; I am sorry. If I had a choice, I would never have treated my kingdom this poorly. So, it is with honour that I surrender the throne to the true regent." He sighed and looked at Andrea. He reached his hand out for her to take, and as she looked at him, she saw her brother, her sweet, caring big brother, and she took the hand and let him lead her to the railing. "With Avo as my witness," he said as he brought the crown above her head and slowly lowered it as he continued, "I hereby crown thee; Andrea, Queen of Albion." As the heavy, golden crown hit her head, a roar of applauds ran through the thick crown below them, and Andrea took a deep breath.

This was it. This was her moment. She had never been good at speeches, and this was probably her most important speech ever. It wasn't her official coronation, but to have the former King surrender the crown and place it upon her head was more special than an official coronation. She exhaled and inhaled again before she raised her hand to silence the cheering crowd. "People! Than—thank you… for your support. I wouldn't have made it without you." She clenched her jaw. This was so much harder than she'd thought. Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder, and she turned her head to see Ben standing there, smiling encouragingly at her. She inhaled and nodded before she turned back towards the people. "When I first… embarked on this incredible journey I never expected any of this. When I left the safety of the castle, I was nothing more than a spoiled little Princess. Now I know that being a regent… is more than just attending balls and dances and demanding the loyalty of the people. I know now that by being a regent, I also have to shoulder the role as sole protector of this land and its people. My body will no longer be mine, and my soul will no longer be mine; it will all be yours. And as your regent and sole protector, I am obliged to speak the truth; this new, disturbing threat will challenge us and push us all to our limits. As your Queen I now ask of you your complete trust and loyalty. My mother once united this great kingdom, and if we don't work together now, all that Albion is will be no more. If you swear to me your allegiances, I will swear to you, as Queen, as protector and as Hero that I will do everything in my power to defeat the Darkness." Her body trembled and her eyes watered as the roar of cheers and applauds once again echoed to the skies. She had done it. She had won the people of Albion, and all that remained now, was to convince herself that she could do it, and that she would be a good Queen. She breathed heavily and tried to push away the tears. She felt Ben's hand squeeze her shoulder gently, and she looked at him.

"Spoken like a true leader," he smiled.

She smiled, too, though not as confident.

"But, your _Majesty_," Ben said, "before you leave your people, you have to decide what to do about you brother."

Andrea closed her eyes and nodded. Once again, she turned towards the roaring crowd. She raised her hand, and again, the crowd silenced. "Even though I understand that the former King has caused you a lot of pain and suffering, we cannot afford to turn against one another in times like these. We can use every man and woman available. However, to prove to you all that my highest priority is the people, there shall be a proper trial." She looked at Logan, but looked away again. "In my kingdom, all men and women shall be worth the same, and therefore have the same rights as everybody else. Thus, Logan will get a chance to argue for his survival." She then sighed and looked at him, and spoke, so that only his ears would pick it up, "he is, after all, my only brother." Their hands met, and Logan's hand wrapped carefully around hers, and Andrea knew that she couldn't kill him. She simply couldn't. He was her brother. He was her flesh and blood. She couldn't kill him. She wouldn't.


	15. The Weight of the World

**A/N: **Here's chapter fifteen! Man, this story is getting kind of long.. this is probably the longest fanfic I've ever written.. oh well. I'm actually kind of happy with this chapter. Saw _Elizabeth_ the other day, and was really inspired by it. Gave me great ideas for the whole Queen-thing :D Great movie, by the way. If you haven't seen it, then do it! And, if you haven't read this chapter, then do it! :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Fifteen**_  
The Weight of the World_

The coronation was over. The final step of becoming a regent had been made. Andrea had been worked on so much by the maids, she barely felt like a human being anymore. Her auburn hair – that had now taken a more fiery hue, due to her use of fire spells – had been laid in a big, regal hairdo, with curls dangling from her temples, and a long curl lay on her shoulder. She had been bathed and scrubbed and powdered and painted, and she was dressed with so many layers, she felt like a swollen toad in a dress. She had undergarments, a bodice, three layers of underskirts, a blouse and a corset, laced so tightly, she could barely breathe. _But, the men who sees me probably won't mind_, she thought bitterly as she tried, in vain, to pull the corset upwards and cover her deep cleavage. She was now pacing the war-room, getting more and more aggravated by the minute. Hobson, her new personal butler was rocking nervously on his heels.

"Where's Jasper?" Andrea growled.

"I'm—I'm sorry, madam," Hobson stammered. "But we haven't found him yet."

"How hard could he be to find?" Andrea cried and stopped to stare at him. "He's not exactly a twenty-year-old adventurer anymore; he's a posh, old man! He would never stay at a dirty in, and he would never – not for anything in the world – sleep on the ground, to why in Avo's name is it so bloody hard to find him?" She was feeling how everything boiled over. She had only been Queen for a day, and she was already losing control. All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door, and one of the maids stepped inside.

"I'm sorry, madam, but you have a visitor," she said.

Andrea sighed, trying to regain her posture and control. "Who is it?"

"It's Captain Finn, madam," the maid said.

"Let him in," Andrea said. "Hobson, please, I need to speak with Ben alone."

"As you wish, madam," Hobson said and bowed deeply before he left the room, and Ben entered. He looked worried.

Andrea waited until the door was properly shut before she threw her arms around him and pressed her face against his chest, crying. "I can't do this!"

Ben put his arms around her and hushed her. He caressed her hair and kissed her head. "Don't worry," he said. "Just… let it all settle in first, and then you could start to evaluate the situation and decide whether or not you can do it." Then he sighed. "Andrea, I'm sorry that I have to push you, but you're needed in the throne room. Page, Kalin, Walter and Sabine are all waiting for you."

Andrea sighed and dried her face with the back of her hand. "Oh, shoot," she sobbed. "I smeared my make-up!"

Ben chuckled. "Strangely enough, I find it hard to believe that you would care."

She chuckled too, thickly from all the sobs. She pulled away to look at him. "Well, I hoped you'd think I look beautiful."

"You're always beautiful to me," he smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

She reached up to meet him, and as they kissed, Andrea wished they were back in Aurora, where everything that was royal was gone. Now, it was closer than ever. They broke the kiss, and Andrea sighed. "Why haven't you found Jasper yet?"

"Walter suspect Jasper has gone to Oakfield to visit his family," Ben said. "He's sent for someone to search for him there."

Andrea nodded. "I knew we should have taken him with us," she said. "What was I thinking?"

"Oh, come on!" Ben said. "He wouldn't have lasted a day outside of the castle like that, and you know it! He's a butler, not a knight."

"Well, he's like a knight to me," Andrea muttered. "Besides, Hobson is driving me mad!"

"I can see why," Ben said. Then he reached his hand out for her to take. "Come on, your Majesty. You're loyal subjects awaits." He smirked, and Andrea shook her head and took his hand.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben couldn't believe he was there. In the castle. With the Queen. He couldn't believe he was now heading towards the throne room, and not as an admiring subject, but as a man with a voice. He stole a glance of Andrea as they walked thought the halls and he felt sorry for her. She was beautiful, alright, but Ben knew the Princess – or, well, the _Queen_ – would prefer something more practical. Well, he didn't exactly complain by the sight of the young Princess's deep cleavage... but he couldn't think about that now. No, today was the day he was going to be appointed Major, and he had mixed feelings about it. He was proud, of course, of gaining such a high ranking after only a few years in the army, whilst some had to wait for lifetime. But he was also anxious. He didn't want to try to take Major Swift's place, and he didn't even know if he could handle such authority and responsibility. Walter was to be appointed General, of that Ben was sure. And, Page would probably be offered a title, if she wanted it, so to speak.

As they entered the throne room, the enormous room was rather empty. In the furthest end, there was a gathering around a large table, with the throne itself straight forward. Andrea straightened by his side, and he cleared his throat.

"Well, you took your time, love!" an obnoxious voice called.

Ben raised an eyebrow. Saker? Well, was he surprised? That man liked to take credit for things he hadn't done. Yes, alright, he had joined the fight, but he had done more than that. His utterly useless morality had caused him and his mercenaries to deal with the fearful, innocent women of the city, rather than the soldiers all the others were fighting. Nevertheless, he – obviously – had the same right to be there as anyone else of the ones around that table.

"All rise for the Queen," Walter boomed, shooting venomous glares at Saker, and the party around the table all rose. It was Page, Walter, Sabine, Kalin… and Saker.

"No, please," Andrea said. "Please, sit down."

The others nodded and sat down again. Ben, pretending to be a gentleman, led the Queen to her seat before he took his own next to her.

"Alright," Walter said. "We have much to settle today, starting with making decisions concerning the division of responsibilities."

Ben rolled his eyes. He never liked serious meetings like this one.

"Well, Walter," Andrea said, "I want to appoint you General. You know military better than me, and I know that I could rely on you."

"It would be an honour," Walter nodded.

Andrea nodded. "Good. And Ben, I would like to appoint you Major. I believe in you."

Ben clenched his jaw. He knew it would come. He had known it ever since Swift was killed. But he had made a promise to Andrea. He nodded. "Sure thing, Princess."

Walter harrumphed, and glared at him.

"What?" Ben smirked.

"Never mind him, Walter," Andrea mumbled. "I will need the two of you to recruit as many soldiers as you can. In the meantime, I will do my best to gather the money to support you." She turned to the Dweller. "Sabin, I would like to knight you, and make you officially Chief of the Mistpeak society, which means that any decision concerning Mistpeak Mountains has to go through you first."

Ben smiled as he saw the old man cracking up in a delighted grin. A month ago, in Mourningwood, he would rather believe in flying pigs than in Andrea of Albion being giving. But he stood corrected.

"Hang on!" Saker suddenly said. "What? 'Chief of the Mistpeak society'? What about me then?"

"You heard her!" Sabine grunted.

"But that's not fair, now is it?" Saker continued.

"Saker, what in the bloody hell are you really doing here?" Ben muttered.

"I—" Saker begun, but cut himself short as he gave Ben an icy glare and then turned to Andrea. "Your Highness, Majesty, Divinity, or whatever you are," he said, and the whole table glared at him, "I was in this fight too, remember! I deserve a reward!"

"Your reward was to live," Walter said.

"Well, that's not fair either!" Saker growled.

"Shut up, Saker!" Ben growled back.

"Stop it!" Andrea ordered. She then sighed and looked at the mercenary Captain. "Captain Saker, you're absolutely right. What is your suggestion?"

"Let my camp become a village of its own," Saker said. "A village where we welcome the outcast and unwanted."

"Like criminals and scum," Ben muttered under his breath, but clenched his jaw as Andrea's green eyes glared coldly at him.

"It's an amiable suggestion, Captain, but what about your mercenaries?" Andrea asked. "I cannot support your cause I you will continue with your ruthless ways."

"No, of course not," Saker said. "Let us become a part of the Royal Army. Make an outpost by my camp in the Mistpeak Mountains. Give us a salary so that we don't have to pay to do dirty work. Let us become the _protectors _of Mistpeak."

Sabine scoffed loudly and several of the others looked suspicious.

"And if I do so, would you then promise to stop your criminal activities completely?" Andrea asked.

"You have my word, Hero," Saker said.

"Andrea," Ben sighed and leaned towards her. "You can't trust him."

"I make the decisions here, Ben," she said nonchalantly and looked at Saker. "So be it. Sabine will still act as your superior, Captain, but you get to keep your title as Captain, and I will send an officer from the city to make sure you keep your promise. And if you keep yours, I will keep mine and announce the village of Mistpeak Camp."

Saker grinned a vexing, self-righteous grin, and Ben wanted to just slap him.

"Alright," Andrea sighed. "Let's move on. Hobson is probably going to kill me for being away from the treasury for this long. Now, Page, I'd like to offer you a place here in the court, if you'd like."

Page shifted awkwardly. "Well, your Majesty, I thank you for your offer, but I'd much rather stay in Industrial."

"As you wish," Andrea said and nodded. "Kalin, your city will be an official part of Albion, and I'd like to appoint you Mayor of Aurora."

"It would be a privilege, your Majesty," Kalin said and nodded gracefully.

"Right," Walter said, "let's move on to other matters."

Ben yawned and leaned back in the chair, listening to suggestions of preparation from the different leaders. What he really wanted at this very moment was to lie in the royal, _Queen_-sized bed, between the thighs of a young, beautiful Queen.

**.:*Ö*:.**

It was incredible how an hour could sometimes feel like a minute, and how a minute could all of a sudden feel like an hour. And right now, Andrea felt as if the hours crawled by like _years_. The meeting was over, thank Avo for that, and she was now back to the war-room, facing another terrible lecture by Hobson on how bad of a shape Logan had left the treasury and how much money they would need to build up an army big enough to protect the whole kingdom. She honestly thought the man had some sort of a sexual perversion for gold. When that was over, she headed towards Logan's room, in which he had been closed inside until the trail. She greeted the guards, and then entered. Logan was sitting on the window sill, reading.

Upon her entrance, he turned his head towards her with a smile. "Had a nice time deciding over the kingdom?" He jeered.

Andrea glared at him. "It's not funny," she muttered and walked up to him. She climbed up and squeezed herself down on the other end, her dress flowing in every possible direction. "How on earth did you survive having_ Hobson_ as your advisor?"

"Can't pretend like I didn't fight the urge to rip his head off every now and then," Logan said and returned to his book.

Andrea shifted to make it more comfortable, but the skirts of the dress and the tight corset made it nearly impossible.

Logan looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

"No," Andrea complained. "Not only do they expect me to have thousands of years of wisdom in my head, but they also expect me to look like one of those bloody fun-girls found in those secret books father had!"

Logan gave an amused laugh and shook his head. "Andrea, you're Queen now. You make the decisions."

"It's easy for you to say!" she gasped as she tried to reach underneath her enormous head of hair to scratch her scalp. "You're a man, and men don't need as much _fixing_ as women do."

"If you say so, your Majesty," Logan said and shrugged. "You set the rules, not I."

Andrea huffed vexedly and glared at him. "Fine," she muttered. "Tomorrow I'll emerge in mercenary clothes, or something. Let's see how the nobles feel about _that._"

Logan chuckled. "That would be a sight, to say the least. Since when did you dislike dresses anyway? All your life you've been crazy about them!"

"Things change," Andrea mumbled.

"Have you?" His face was unreadable and Andrea swallowed.

"What do you mean?"

Logan sighed and put the book aside. "Andrea, I have raised you; I know you. You have always fancied the higher society. You've always been the pure definition of a Princess, loving the luxury of royal life. You've been snobby, arrogant and pompous. For seventeen years, you've been like that. How could you possibly have changed so dramatically in three months?"

Logan was right. Andrea knew he was right. Could she really have changed that much? She guessed she had, because she really didn't love the luxury anymore. In fact, she would much rather be in Aurora or perhaps in the back room in Tara's house instead of the big, lonely castle. She would much rather live as a simple peasant instead of Queen.

"Andrea?" Logan asked carefully. "Are you alright?"

Tears built up in her eyes and she slowly shook her head. "No," she croaked. "No, I'm not alright." She looked at him. "I don't want to be Queen, Logan! I don't want to face the Darkness again!"

Logan reached to grab her hand. "Neither do I. But we have no choice."

"I know," she sighed.

He smiled. "You look so much like mother."

"Do I?" Andrea breathed, and Logan nodded. Andrea sighed and shifted so that she could curl up in Logan's lap, just as she always did when she was a child. He held her tightly and sighed.

"I've missed this," he said. "You know, you're the only one I've got left."

"Don't say that," Andrea whispered.

"Why not?"

Andrea swallowed. "You know I can't let my personal feeling rule at your trial tomorrow."

Logan chuckled. "You'll do fine. I just want you to know, that whatever you may choose tomorrow, I'm proud of you. If you… choose for my departure, I want you to do it with your head held high. There is no right and wrong in this matter. I have been a monstrous King, and I deserve no better."

"Let's just see what tomorrow will bring," Andrea sighed.

"You're right."

Andrea shifted to make herself a bit more comfortable. "Tell me about one of those adventures mother had."

"Which one?" Logan asked.

Andrea inhaled, wandering. "I don't know. Surprise me!"

Logan then proceeded to tell her one of their mother's thrilling adventures, and it wasn't until late at night Andrea left his room to go to bed. She had missed her brother, and she had missed her brother for four years, and now when the heavy responsibility of King didn't lie on his shoulders anymore, he had returned. As she went to bed after the maids had once again bathed her and rubbed scented oil into her hair, she stared up at the ceiling. The weight was on her now; the weight of the world. She shuddered. She, a seventeen-year-old, was in charge of an entire kingdom. She decided the fate of her people. If she couldn't raise enough money, she wouldn't have the military capacity to protect the entire kingdom, and a lot of people would die.

"Andrea," she all of a sudden heard a soft voice call.

She threw herself into a sitting position and stared into the darkness. Bernard growled at her feet, and she felt her heart rate increase significantly. There was no one there. She breathed heavily as she looked around.

"Do not worry," the voice said again, and out of the shadows came a hooded woman. Theresa.

Andrea gasped. "It's you…"

"Yes, it's me," Theresa said. "You made it to the throne. Congratulations."

"Why didn't you tell me about the Darkness?"

"There is a time and place for everything," Theresa said. "I told you what you needed to know. Logan was never the regent Albion needed. Only a Hero would be able to withstand this threat and prevail. You are that Hero, Andrea."

"But you made me hate my own brother! Because of you, he's up for trial tomorrow, and he might not live to tell the tale!" Andrea cried. "How could you do that?"

"What is one life to thousands?" Theresa asked. "He made his own decisions, and he chose his own path, just as you will choose yours. That, is not my doing."

Andrea sighed heavily, frustrated with the hooded woman. "What's next then?"

"In one year from now, the Darkness will spread across the land and devour anything in its path," Theresa said. "You already know how much money you will need to raise to protect your country, but you must also know what difficult decisions lie ahead of you; your way to where you are now wasn't easy, and without the help of your friends you would never have gotten here. In time, decisions will force you to take side; with your friends or against them. And remember; your body and soul are no longer yours, and you will have to make the decisions based on what's best for your people rather than your own interests."

"I'm sure my friends won't expect me to make decisions that won't benefit my people," Andrea muttered.

"Do be so sure," Theresa said. "They are humans too, and they have wishes and desires. Perhaps their wishes aren't only in their own interest, but as their suggestions might benefit a couple of hundred people, the _opposite _suggestion might benefit thousands. It will all be about priorities, your Majesty, and some of the more important priorities might not be the priorities of your friends."

"So, you're basically saying that I will have to choose between my friends and my people to save this country?" Andrea asked and narrowed her eyes.

"What I'm saying is that if you want to rebuild this country, you first have to make sure there will be a country left to rebuild," Theresa said. "The weight of the world is on your shoulders now, Andrea. You will now have to look beyond tomorrow to see where your decisions will take you." And with that, the seer disappeared, leaving Andrea bewildered.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Walter tossed and turned. The soft linen in his bed lay annoyingly warm against his body, and the thick cover almost suffocated him. The pillow had even been enough for him to toss aside, and though he tried every possible position he didn't seem to get comfortable. There was something stabbing him in the back, no matter which way he lay; a voice, or more of the shadow of a voice; a distant, inhuman, terrifying shadow of a voice. It told him how worthless he was, how weak he was and that things happened around him that he didn't notice. His dearest Andrea was plotting against him, while she was doing terrible things. His sweet, innocent Andrea… the chilling voice from the dark entity that had its hold on him spoke to him still. _You can never escape darkness_, it kept repeating inside of his head. _You're tainted._

Suddenly, there was a growl and he sat up, breathing heavily as he looked around the room. The darkness around him pressed tauntingly towards him, and he hurried to light a candle on his bedside table. As the light spread through the room, he could have sworn he saw a shadow moving. Sweat was forming on his forehead as he picked up the candle and moved it from side to side to get a wider range of light throughout the room, but the shadow was gone. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily before he put the candle back on the nightstand and lay back down. So, if he had been struck by the same devastation as the old Hero Queen, then he would face death for certain. However, the more pressing question, really, was how long it had taken for Queen Sparrow to give in, and how long he would be able to hold himself together. To that question, he wasn't even sure he wanted an answer.

Sleep was not an option tonight, and the next morning, he was up before sunrise. He walked around the castle, keeping his mind occupied by strategies and other things. Ben was up too, smiling bigger than usual, speaking loudly about how wonderful it was to finally sleep in a proper bed. Walter couldn't pretend and say that he wasn't jealous; what wouldn't he give to be able to get a good night's sleep? But, he didn't deny the blond, jolly bastard the pleasure of sleeping in a proper bed since he hadn't done that for months on end. However, he still couldn't help the sudden urge to strangle the young Major.

When Andrea was up and properly dressed, they met for breakfast in the tea-room.

"You look tired," Andrea said, her voice drenched with worry.

"Oh, it's nothing," Walter assured her. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed by the enormous task that lies ahead."

"If you feel like you can't do it, I'll ask Ben," she breathed and knitted her brows. "Walter, I don't want you to throw yourself into anything like this if you don't feel up to it."

"Nonsense!" Walter boomed. Perhaps he had trouble with his sleep, but it wouldn't stop him from defeating the bastard ruining it!

"Walter, I care about you," she sighed and placed her hand on his arm.

A small jolt of guilt shot through him as he suddenly saw the tiny hand of a child rather than of a fully grown woman. He couldn't let her down. He couldn't let the apple of his eye down. "I care about you too, Andrea, and if you think that I would let you down, you're wrong."

"You won't let me down," she said.

"Don't be silly, child," Walter muttered. "Let's finish breakfast and get on with the day." He might be old and stubborn, and the Darkness might have a much harder grip on him than he first thought, but a knight never yielded.

**.:*Ö*:.**

She stole glances at Walter during the whole breakfast. She had seen that particular worry before, and now she knew what it meant. She knew he was stubborn enough not to tell her if he suffered from nightmares and such, but she knew he did. Even if he hadn't been infected, she still knew he would have nightmares, judging by his fear of caves and darkness. So, she worried. And today of all days was no good day to worry. It was today that she had do decide the fate of her beloved brother. She knew what crimes he had committed against the people of Albion, but she also knew why, and she would lie if she said she didn't understand him. If she would make the same choices as him, she did not know. Was she a better person? She did not know. Because what was best, really; the choice of many, or the choice of a few? Whatever she did, someone would get disappointed. She knew Page wanted her to change the lives for the people of Industrial to the better, but how could that be possible if there was no money? She knew the people of Brightwall wanted to re-establish the Academy, but how would she be able to do that without the financial support? There were a lot of questions she did not know the answer to. And neither did she know the answer to if she could find a way to spare the life of her brother without losing the faith of the people.

She dreaded the moment she would have to make that decision, and that moment came, faster than she wanted it to.

She was sitting in the throne room. The big table was gone, leaving only the throne in the middle of the plateau, and the room was filled with citizens who had all come to see the former King of Albion either live or die. Beside her, she had her friends, and on the front row, she had Tara, smiling comfortingly towards her.

Logan was brought into the room by a guard and was placed in front of her, his hands cuffed behind his back. He looked at her with respect, and she knew, she knew that he had been telling the truth the night before. He would be proud of her – he _was_ proud of her! – no matter what she decided.

"Logan, former King of Albion" Walter said, "you stand today accused of crimes against the kingdom and its people. Those who brought you to justice will now speak."

"There's not a soul alive in the kingdom who hasn't suffered for his glory, and plenty who've died for it," Sabine spat. "I say; let him have some death of his own!" There were some cheering from the crowd, but Walter silenced them.

"Look," Ben sighed and looked at Andrea, "I'm not one for lopping people's heads off, but we saw Major Swift executed, like it was some bloody circus act!" She saw him tense up, and she clenched her jaw. "He deserves nothing less as far as I'm concerned." Another cheer was heard.

"But aren't we better than that?" Page spoke up to silence the crowd. "Isn't that why we fought to be here now?" She looked out over the people, and Andrea sighed in relief. "I've seen what Logan's done to this city; people starving to death, children forced to work… but killing him won't solve anything!" She received some cheers of agreement from the crowd, and Andrea was pleased to see that Tara was one of them.

"It is not my place to decide his fate," Kalin said, with a somewhat arrogant look upon her face, "but his betrayal condemned many of my people to death. He promised us salvation and then left us to face the Darkness alone."

"I had good reason to break that promise," Logan said, his voice calm. "And I had good reason for the crimes you claim I committed. The sacrifices I had to make, I did them to protect Albion! If a few had to suffer, it was to build an army. If a few had to die, it was to save a country. I have spent _years_ preparing for this attack." He looked directly at Andrea. "Let me stand by your side and all my soldiers will be yours to command. Let us face the coming Darkness together." Their eyes locked together, and it was almost as she could feel his blood in her veins. They were the same. They were one. She couldn't kill him; she needed him.

She rose and swallowed. "Now is not the time for revenge," she croaked, afraid of what her crowd might think. "We need your help, Logan." Dissatisfied groans were heard from the crowd, and she heard Ben scoff next to her.

Walter sighed. "The Queen has made her decision; Logan's life will be spared!"

As a ghost of an utterly grateful smile played upon Logan's lips, the crowd left the throne room, a lot more displeased as when they arrived. Andrea nodded towards Logan, and then she excused herself to leave. She needed to breathe for a minute or two. So, this was what it would feel like all the time? The people obviously wanted her to execute him, and when she didn't, she all of a sudden lost credibility. They were probably wondering who they really put on the throne, and if she would be as bad as Logan, or even worse.

She walked back to her room, ordered any maid that was still there to leave, ordered the guards to tell people she didn't want any visitors and then she locked the door and started pacing the room. Theresa had been right the other night. And even if it was a horrible truth, it was the truth; she would have to make horrible decisions, and the people would probably come to hate her. Perhaps this truly was a time to pick quantity over quality; better to make a few suffer to save many, than to make many suffer to save a few? She hadn't been in her room for long until there were angry voices outside the door.

"_The Queen does not want to be disturbed_," one of the two guards said.

"_Get out of my way, private!_" another voice said furiously, and Andrea gasped; it was Ben.

"_But the Queen—_"

"_That's an_ _order!_" Ben barked.

There was an awkward silence before there were angry knocks on the door, and Andrea jumped. He wouldn't do anything to her, surely he wouldn't do anything to her. Besides, what _could_ he do? She was a Hero, for Avo's sake! Cautiously, she approached the door and unlocked it. He threw the door open and marched right in, without even looking at her. The two guards peered into the room, with sweat dripping from their foreheads as they started terrifyingly at Andrea. She nodded in consent, and the two guards sighed in relief. "Leave us," she ordered softly, and the two guards saluted her before they left their posts, probably with their hearts in their mouths. She then closed and locked the door again and turned towards Ben who was pacing furiously.

"How could you?" he growled. "How could you let the bastard live?"

"He's my brother, Ben," she said calmly.

"He killed Major Swift!" Ben barked and stopped to stare at her. "Right before our eyes! Did you forget that?"

"No," Andrea said.

"And still you let him live?"

Andrea sighed. "Ben, don't ask me to murder my own flesh and blood."

"Murder?" Ben scoffed and narrowed his eyes. "_Murder_? What about _justice_?"

"We already brought him to justice!" Andrea cried. "We took the crown away from him, and Page was right! We didn't do all this so that we could fight fire with fire. The point of this whole revolution was to _drench _the fire using _water_, right? Not make the fire bigger!"

Ben clenched his jaw and continued to pace the room. His whole body was tense, and Andrea feared that he might explode.

She sighed and walked up to him. "I know you're disappointed," she said, "but he's my brother. What would you do if you were in my shoes, and Quentin was the one standing before you? Or William? Or Jason?" She made him stop, but he refused to look at her. She sighed again and brought her hand to his face. "Don't you see? We're all humans; you, me, Logan… I'm not a machine. I can't close out my own feelings, and besides, this was the right decision. Trust me."

He sighed too and she could feel how his body relaxed. He looked at her, repentance in his eyes. "You're right," he finally said. "I'm sorry. I'm just… I'm so angry!"

"I know," she said and hushed him as she pressed herself closer to him, and she could feel his arms slide around her waist. "I know you are. But do you really think Major Swift would be voting for Logan's death? You really think _that's_ true justice?"

Ben growled under his breath, and then he raised a brow. "I hate you."

Andrea giggled, pleased that he finally calmed down. "Let me make it up to you."

A sly smirk spread across his face as he leaned in closer to her. "How?"

"Well," Andrea said and raised her brows, "this dress is rather tight…"

"May I take it off for you then, your Majesty?" Ben purred against her lips.

"Major Finn," Andrea smiled and pressed herself even closer, "I never thought you'd ask."


	16. Relentless Obligations

**A/N: **Here is chapter sixteen, finally! I'm sorry for the wait, but this holiday has been crazy! Someone, please remind me not to write half a novel as a gift for a friend when I have only got half a month to do so.. anyways, now I can finally relax and continue on writing about the Princess and our favourite Capten-I mean Major! ;)

Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Sixteen**_  
Relentless Obligations _

Never in her life had Andrea felt like a rebellious, lovesick teen who'd find a thrill in avoiding getting caught with her roughish lover. Today, she did. As heavy fists pounded patiently on the door, their lovemaking was cut short, and Ben sprung out of the bed to throw his shirt and trousers on. Andrea hurried to put on her nightgown and her robe, and then she blushed a bit and smiled as she looked at Ben struggling with his boots. "Take the window," she whispered and nodded towards one of the big windows. "It's easy to climb down, and it leads directly behind one of the hedges. No one will see you. I used that way numerous times when I was younger."

Ben nodded as he walked up to her and planted a kiss on her lips. "We'll have to find a safer place to meet," he breathed, and Andrea nodded in agreement. He then took the rest of his clothes and his gear in his arms as he jumped out the window, all while the patient knocks still hit the door.

Andrea looked out the window to make sure he was alright, and then she hurried to open the door. It was Walter, of course, and Bernard. "Oh, Walter," she said, hoping the redness of her cheeks had settled, and as Bernard entered the room, his nose was towards the floor, and he ran back and forth through room. Andrea cursed silently.

Walter raised a brow and looked over her shoulder. "Did I hear voices?"

"Voices?" Andrea asked nervously. "No, no I don't think so. What kind of voices?"

"What kind—voices, Andrea!" Walter muttered and entered the room. He scanned the room, and Andrea gave Avo a silent prayer that Ben hadn't left anything behind. As Bernard then walked to the window, his tail wiggling, Walter followed. He knew Andrea had once used that very window as an escape route and Andrea held her breath. But he left the window, and some of his suspicion left his eyes. "What were you doing?"

"Resting," Andrea said. "The trial drained me both physically and emotionally."

"Yes," Walter sighed, "I understand you. The people are merciless. There is no place for understanding amongst the people. I know the feeling all too well; I wanted Logan punished, too. Perhaps not dead, no, but punished. But you rose above us all and proved that mercy is the best way to success. Logan is already preparing his soldiers for new superiors and new strategies. And he seems thankful to Page, too, and has sent some of his men down to her, so assist her in Industrial."

"Logan did that?" Andrea knitted her brows. She knew her brother was a good man, but she never thought he'd do something like that.

"Gratitude is a powerful force," Walter said. "What surprised me was that Page actually allowed it. But, as I've understood it, Reaver is her enemy, not Logan."

"Well, as long as they work together, I'm pleased," Andrea said, very surprised by her own brother's sudden co-operation.

"Well, yes," Walter said, "you're right. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you're alright."

"I'm fine," Andrea smiled.

"Have you seen Ben, by the way?" Walter asked, and Andrea widened her eyes, but before Walter even noticed, he continued, "no, of course you haven. I'm sorry." He sighed once again, and placed his hands behind his back. For a moment or two, he seemed lost in thought, and Andrea cleared her throat. Walter looked up, and she gestured him that she was in her nightgown, and would like to get dressed. "Oh, of course! What was I thinking, barging in like this? Forgive me, Andrea. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Andrea smiled and nodded. "I'm fine, Walter."

"Right," Walter said and rolled on his heels for a second or two before he headed for the door, and as he shut it after him, Andrea sighed deeply in relief. Too close. It had been too close. Walter would behead Ben if he found out about them. So, it would be better if no one knew. At least not yet.

**.:*Ö*:.**

As he hit the ground, he was relieved to find himself – as Andrea had promised – behind a tall hedge. He hurried to put his waistcoat on, and his gear before he pulled a hand through his hair and stepped into the ginormous garden. Nobles, who apparently walked around the gardens for either fun or status, looked rather surprised to find the new Major stepping out of a hedge, and while some of them hurried to bow and curtsy, some stared at him in bewilderment, and he was the one who nodded slightly before he turned to head off back towards the castle. He was surely needed somewhere for something. Suddenly, he stood face to face with Logan, the former King of Albion.

He was taller than him, standing with his hands behind his back and that patronizing, somewhat lazy gaze was enormously vexing. "Major," he said and nodded slightly.

"Your Highness," Ben replied through gritted teeth and nodded too. Oh, Avo help him, he could kill the man!

Logan raised a brow as he gazed over at the hedge which Ben had just popped out from. Then he looked at Ben again, and cleared his throat. "I presume you're heading towards the castle," he said.

"Indeed I am," Ben answered flatly.

"May I join you?"

Ben was surprised by the politeness he was faced with and nodded awkwardly. "Alright?"

With a slight smirk, Logan walked past him and Ben followed. "I was taking a stroll around the garden," Logan said. "In all the years I have lived, I have never truly appreciated this spacious garden, but now… well, let's just say that having your own sister spare your life like that, is truly a revelation."

Ben was silent as he both tried to fight the urge to tear the man's head off and to comprehend the fact that Logan was actually being civil, more too, that _Ben _was actually being civil.

"I am aware of the dangers my sister has faced," Logan continued, "and of the dangers ahead. She is lucky to have such friends to support her."

"We will do our best," Ben said, his voice more constrained than he wanted it to be.

"Of course you will," Logan said arrogantly. "I am sure you will all work your hardest to help her. Then again," he turned his head towards Ben, "make sure not to work_ too_ hard, though."

Ben narrowed his eyes. "What are you implying, _sir_?"

Logan turned his head again and sighed lightly. "I'm only saying that if you lay the planks of a bridge too tightly, it will be harder to keep your balance when some of those planks break."

"We're not giving up on her," Ben snorted.

"No," Logan replied. "But she needs _friends_, Major, not people that exploit her and then leaves her fumbling in the dark."

Ben stopped, feeling how his anger was soon too great to deal with. "Logan, enough with the bloody politeness," he growled. "What is it that you really want to say? That we're bad for her? That we're using her title to our own benefit?"

Logan stopped too, and his blank face was stern. "What I mean is that you should focus on helping her in the war-room, and not in her _bedchambers_." His eyes were almost burning, and Ben raised a brow.

"What are you talking about?"

Logan clenched his jaw and rolled his eyes. "Don't think I'm ignorant, Major. That window has been Andrea's escape route since she was six years old. She does not need a lover, she needs a friend."

"I _am_ her friend," Ben growled. "And you should be, too."

"I am her brother," Logan growled. "I know her better than anyone. I care about her!"

"Well, don't think you're the only one!" Ben spat.

They both breathed heavily as they stared at each other, the wish of bloodshed playing in both of their eyes.

Finally, Logan sighed and tried to calm himself. "Very well. She's old enough to make her own mistakes. However, if you, in any way, harm her or dishonour her, I will kill you."

"Why would I harm her, or dishonour her?"

"Because I know your kind," Logan scoffed. "I've heard about you, Ben Finn. Almost every woman in this city has their own version of their passionate nights with you. Don't think, not for one second, that I am going to just stand there, watching how my sister's heart gets broken by such a scoundrel!"

Ben rolled his eyes. "Alright, so I have a past. Who hasn't? And she knows all about it." Then he sighed. "Logan, I swear; hurting her, is the last thing I would ever want to do."

Logan stood silent for a while, his eyes fixed on some invisible spot. "She's all I've got left."

Ben knitted his brows awkwardly. Then he, very uncertainly, patted the former King's shoulder. "She… she'll do fine. She'll be fine."

"She needs all the support she can get," Logan said.

"And she has all the support she can get," Ben replied. "But, she also needs her brother to trust her."

Logan looked at him, and then he straightened and cleared his throat. "Well, weren't we heading towards the castle, Major?"

"Yes," Ben mumbled and walked alongside the Queen's brother in to the castle. Perhaps he couldn't really blame the former King to look after his sister, and as he had said; she was probably the only one he had got left.

"I…" Logan began, and then sighed. "I assume you would like to keep your… affair, a secret?"

"Yes," Ben said. "That… is probably for the best."

"Agreed," Logan said. "If your relationship is revealed, it would be scandalous. Her reputation would be forever ruined."

"It would."

"So you agree?" Logan asked and raised a brow.

"I am man enough to admit my faults and its consequences, yes," Ben said.

"Well," Logan said, clearly stunned by this, "I hope you're not expecting to marry her?"

"No," Ben said. "I've told her to accept Elliot's proposal."

"So, the boy has finally proposed, then?"

"Yes."

"Just as well." Logan sighed. "He might not be the brightest of men, but at least he's a Lord."

"He will always be by her side," Ben muttered.

Logan stopped, as did Ben. "I must say, Major, that I'm rather surprised; you care about her enough to know you're not the right man for her, and are selfless enough to refuse the authority you'd get if you marry her?"

"Yes," Ben said and straightened.

"And have you told her this?"

"Several times."

Logan made a face of surprise, and then he continued towards the castle. Ben decided not to follow. At least, it felt as if Logan had accepted their relationship, and the fact that Ben never planned to marry her. Actually, he seemed rather relived by it… was he really that bad? Major… that was a rather respectable title. Just as respectable as Lord. He sighed heavily. This was so much more intricate that he'd first expected. He could still feel the Princess' taste on his lips though, and a grin spread from ear to ear. It would be hard, alright, to see her with Elliot, but he knew it would be worth it. If he could have her, if only for a little while, it would be worth it. However, he did have his limits; if this was going to work, he didn't want her to bed with Elliot. Hopefully, she would be clever enough not to bed with the man before they had married, and that was when Ben had to let her go. But before that, she was all his. That was the deal.

**.:*Ö*:.**

As time elapsed, Andrea found herself in situations she never through she'd find herself in. She had to co-operate with Reaver, of all people, and even though the hair stood at the back of her neck every time she saw the sly bastard, she still couldn't deny the fact that he did have a way with money. She got used to the dressing routine, and to the bathing routine, and to every other routine she had to go through to look like a Queen, and she even found herself liking it after a while. It was as if the life she'd left had returned and did so with full force. Elliot's hidden identity had been revealed, and even though Page had been a bit disappointed with him, she had still respected him for his commitment to the Resistance, and for his courage during the revolution where he had been fighting alongside Tara and the rest of the Bowerstone Resistance. Andrea had, reluctantly, accepted Elliot's hand in marriage, so now, there were plans for a royal wedding. However, Andrea had ordered that the wedding couldn't take place until the threat was over, and they had prevailed. This was not only because she couldn't concentrate on a wedding while she had to make sure the country was protected, but also because she wanted as much time as possible with Ben. With this agreement, they had at least another year.

But being a regent was not easy and keeping the trust of the people was more difficult than she'd first expected. The treasury was still far from full, and when setting the tax rate ended up on the agenda, Andrea found herself not able to lower it, even though Logan had set it rather high. However, she didn't have the heart to raise it, but she couldn't afford to lower it either. Therefore, many people of Albion were discontent with her decision. Page, amongst others, had expressed her opinion rather freely, and she wasn't very happy. This gave Andrea a nasty tummy-ache, and set her anxiety level high the day she had to visit Industrial to settle things with Reaver.

She had dressed in a white and golden dress with high collar, and on top of it, she wore a blood red long coat; a practical clothing for a woman in her position. Her hair had not been laid today, and was falling gracefully over her back with thin braids keeping her hair away from her face, and when she met Reaver in his office in Industrial, together with Bernard and Page, he gave her very inappropriate looks, and she made sure he knew his place. "Master Reaver," she spoke, rather harshly, and he straightened.

"You Majesty," Reaver said and bowed. "How delighted I am to find you here! Please, have a seat. And you too, Page, my dear."

"You wanted to see me," Andrea said as she sat down in one of the chairs, and Bernard hurried to lie down at her feet. Page refused to sit, and stood firm.

Reaver stood next to the fireplace with his right hand resting lazily on his hip while the other was supporting on this cane. "Yes. Have you give my suggestion any thought?"

"I have," Andrea said.

"And?"

"I will not force landlords to hand over their properties to the crown," Andrea said. "And I can't afford to buy them."

"Well, that's a shame," Reaver sighed disappointedly and took a seat by his desk, while Page straightened with a victorious smirk. Reaver grabbed a bottle next to him. "Brandy?" As Andrea shook her head, he poured some of the liquor into a glass and took a sip from it. He did not even ask Page. "Then I have another proposition for you; what better way to begin you reign than by reinstating one of my most successful policies?"

"Which is?"

"There is no greater waist than the idleness of you city's youth," he said, "but my employment scheme guarantees children of all ages have something to occupy them, whilst ensuring our factories are properly mannered."

"That's—it's just monstrous!" Page suddenly shrieked and tensed. She snapped her head towards Andrea. "Don't listen to him! You promised you would end child labour! Remember that promise now."

"And what would you have us do with the snotty, little indigents?" Reaver asked with a smirk.

"The only way Bowerstone is going to climb out of the gutter is through education!" Page sighed. "Nothing is more important to our future than that! Turn this factory into a school! Give the children of this city the chance they never had!"

"A school?" Reaver sneered. "That's an original thought. Oh, if you would like to be known as a pauper monarch, then by all means, listen to her. Reaver Industries will abide by your decision." He laughed scornfully as he took another sip of his brandy.

Andrea sighed heavily. Page was right. "How much would it cost to turn this place into a school?"

"More than you can afford, I can tell you that," Reaver said, and then he leaned forwards. "And you could make almost the double by listening to me!"

"You're a despicable man!" Page spat.

"Oh, darling, are you knickers on too tightly, or what is the matter?" Reaver sighed, bored. "Your ambitions are amiable, of course, but very much unrealistic at the moment. Even you must understand that."

"How can you even—Andrea, don't listen to him!" Page spat. "He's talking nonsense!"

Andrea sighed. It hurt to admit it, but Reaver was also right; she couldn't afford it, and it was unrealistic at the moment. She had had a dreadful conversation with Hobson the same morning, and he had shown, that with the poor income, and such a high expense, the treasury was shrinking rapidly. "Is there another option?"

"My Queen, I am filled with ideas," Reaver smirked and raised his glass with a wink.

"Andrea?" Page gasped. "Another—there _is_ no other option! You can't force the children to work!"

The Queen couldn't look her friend in the eye. "I'm sorry Page, but if we can't afford it… before I rebuild this country, I have to make sure there will be a country left to rebuild." She spoke silently, with anxiety thickening her throat. She knew Page would hate her for this, and Page was not the subtle type.

"So you agree with that sly bastard, then?" Page growled through gritted teeth. "And I who thought you were going to be different… how foolish of me." She turned for the door, but before she stormed out, she turned towards Andrea one last time. "Mark my words, Andrea of Albion; my patience is wearing thin. You know what I can do, and you do not want me as your enemy. Not now."

As the door slammed shut, Andrea closed her eyes in a frown.

"Well, you know Page," Reaver said and sighed lightly. "She's a feisty one. Anyway, let us discuss business, my Lady!"

"Do what you like," Andrea croaked, looking into the wall. "Do what you like as long as money comes out of it. My only demand is that whoever you'll hire will receive proper food and clothing, and work proper hours." She took a shaky breath. "Stay away from children younger than thirteen if you can, and if you must hire them… don't let them do hard work, and give them time to play. Let them be what they are, and don't force them to be anything else."

"You are very magnanimous indeed, your Majesty," Reaver smirked delightedly. "I shall start with the preparations immediately!" Then he chuckled. "And as always, my Queen, I must offer you a… private audience in my private chambers, to ease the stress, perhaps?"

"No. Come on, boy." She stood, and looked down on her dog, and without even a glance at Reaver, she left, feeling how her heart weighed heavier than ever as she saw the working children in Reaver's factory. She was a despicable human being, a monstrous regent, and worst of all, a horrible friend! As she walked through industrial, she felt how she wanted to just lock herself in her room and don't come out until it was all over and done with.

When she returned to the castle, she immediately required to speak to Ben. If there was anyone that could lead her mind onto other things, it was Ben, and no one in the court questioned it, since Ben was such an amiable and charming man who everybody enjoyed conversing with. They met in the Queen's Study, where Ben helped himself to the whiskey and poured a glass while Andrea told him about the difficult decision and her guild. Ben, however, did nothing but drink and look careless.

"Could you please try to listen, Ben?" Andrea shrieked.

"I am listening!" Ben chuckled. "Look, you're worrying too much about what Page thinks! Okay, so, it was a rather hard blow on Industrial that the factory remains, but to turn it into a school would be an even harder blow to the entire kingdom, and you know this! So does Page."

"Page trusted me, and I let her down!" Andrea sighed.

"Well, think about how let down she would be if you didn't succeed to raise all that money, and lost against the darkness," Ben said and raised the glass.

"I—you—I can't possible think like that!"

Ben lowered his glass and stared intensely at her. "Can't, or _won't_?"

Andrea sighed again and started to pace the room. "Ben, the treasury is almost empty. I may not even be able to give any salary to soldiers, and I don't know if we can afford being picky… I—perhaps—the only solution I can think of is to establish compulsory military service…"

Ben glared angrily at her. "What?"

"Well, it's the only way I—"

"Are you out of your mind?" he spat and put the glass down. "So, let me get this straight; you want to _force _every man old enough to fight to join the army, without giving them any _salary_? How the hell did you expect them to provide for their families?"

"Theresa appeared to me one night a month ago, telling me that if I wanted to rebuild this country, I had to make sure there would be a country left to rebuild," Andrea barked, locking her eyes boldly on his.

"Theresa?" Ben huffed. "What the bloody hell does she know about saving a bloody country? Yeah, alright, maybe there's a point in that, but, in order to save this kingdom, you'll need the help of its _people_, and before they will risk life and limb, they have to believe this is a country _worth_ fighting for, worth _dying_ for!" He laughed sarcastically. "Now, if you ask me, I wouldn't find the future very positive if my regent treated its brave countrymen like slaves during such turbulent times!"

"Well, what would you choose then?" Andrea shouted so loudly, Bernard crawled under her bed, and she felt how her blood started to boil. "To spend one year in the army without salary, and then live in prosper for the rest of your life, or live in unnecessary luxury for a year, only to face inevitable death at the end of it?"

"Well, at least that would be the best last year anyone could ask for!" Ben barked. He then sighed, and grabbed hold of the bridge of his nose. "I'm not asking for 'unnecessary luxury', Andrea. I'm asking for proper rewards for these brave men. Is that too much for you? Is that too generous?"

"Ben," Andrea breathed, feeling how devastation, fear and anger were boiling over. "I had to give my consent to _child labour_ today. Do you know what that feels like?" Involuntary tears started to roll down her cheeks. "Oh, for Avo's sake, I'm still a child myself! I'm not even eighteen! And yet here I am, deciding over people's fates! Can't you understand how much that hurts?"

Ben sighed heavily in clear frustration and crossed his arms over his chest. He refused to answer her.

"Ben," Andrea said, "I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask to become Queen. I didn't _ask _for people to let their lives rely on my decisions!"

Ben glared darkly at her. "When I first met you, as I recall it, you could hardly _wait_ until people were kissing your arse! Well, congratulations, your _Majesty_, you're at the top of the hierarchy now!"

Andrea gasped breathlessly. "How… _dare_ you talk to me like that? I am your Queen! I _demand_ your _respect_!"

"Of course you have to _demand_ it!" Ben barked and took a step closer to her, forcing her to take one involuntary step backwards. "How _else_ are you going to get it?" They stood both silent for a while before Ben walked backwards towards the door as he shook his head. "I really thought you'd changed. I really did."

"But I _have_ changed!" Andrea cried.

"Oh, really?" Ben asked. "How so?"

"I've—I've grown," Andrea sobbed. "You know I have!"

"I thought you had," he said. "But you know what… I think I might have been wrong."

"Ben—"

"It was wrong of me to take advantage of you like I did," he continued, his voice hard. "For as you say; you're but a child still. A silly little spoiled _brat_." Andrea gasped loudly, and Ben tightened his jaw for a second. "Now, if your Majesty doesn't mind, I have to go and make sure my men aren't wasting any valuable, _unprofitable_ time." And with that, he bowed sarcastically and left, slamming the door shut.

Andrea could hardly breathe. Tears were covering her sight and cries were thickening her throat as she backed slowly up against the wall and slid down on the floor and buried her face in her hand, and cried.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Walter Beck had always had firm principles, even since he was a little boy. He had always done the right thing, and he had always stuck to his decisions, and whatever those decisions may have been, he had never been malicious or mean. But now, he felt as if he almost couldn't control himself any longer. It was as if a darkness inside him was overshadowing himself, and forcing its way out. One month. It had been one month since Andrea's coronation, and for one month, he had been forced to re-enter the role of advisor, and instead of being tolerant and patient as before, he found himself wanting to scold the young Queen for being too subtle and too careful way more often that he would like. He was not like this… not at all. And while a situation like this, where the Queen was late to an audience in the throne room, wouldn't have affected his patience much before, it almost made him bust with vexation now, and he thundered through the hallways in the search for Andrea. Everywhere! He had looked everywhere! Finally, he went back to her room and banged his fist on the door. "Andrea!" he barked, but as he realised what he was doing he quickly cleared his throat. "I—I mean, your Majesty; if you're in there, please open the door." He knew she usually locked her bedroom door if she were ever to go anywhere else, and he had knocked in it before without her opening, so he was probably not there, but he had looked everywhere for her, and no one had seen her since she had spoken with Ben, and the Major had apparently not seen her afterwards, for why would he care about where the Queen would go? Now, Walter agreed on that, but didn't the Major sound unusually stern when he said it? Oh well, Walter didn't have time to reflect upon Benjamin Finn's strange mood; he had to find Andrea. So, he banged on the door once more, and finally, his strange vexation took over, and he forced the door open with his sword. But that met him, made him forget all of his frustration; the young Queen was sitting on the floor, her eyes dim and her face pale. "Andrea?" he said, but she didn't move. She was breathing, he could see that, but she wasn't responding, and he feared the worst. "Andrea! Don't let it have you! Fight it!" He rushed up to her and shook her violently, but she only turned her head towards him, and he could see dried tears on her cheeks. "What happened?"

She shook her head slightly. "Nothing."

"But the Darkness—"

"The Darkness doesn't have me, Walter," she croaked.

"Oh," he said awkwardly and released her. "Well, your Majesty… eh, you're needed in the throne room."

She looked away, her eyes still dim. "What is it about?"

"Well, it's… it's about Old Quarter," Walter said. "What is to be done with it."

"You decide," she said. "You know the people better than I do."

"Your Majesty?"

"I will abdicate," she whispered. "Albion is better off without a spoiled little brat."

Walter was speechless.

"Now, if please, would you leave?"

"Andrea, you don't know what you're talking about," Walter muttered. "You are required in the throne room."

"Very well," she mumbled and rose, and straightened her back. She still looked like a Queen, even though her face was polluted by sorrow. "This will be the last decision I make."

"Nonsense," Walter sighed. "Now, let's go."

**.:*Ö*:.**

_You are the worst man there is_, Ben muttered to himself. How on earth could he be so stupid as to say all those things to Andrea? She didn't deserve it! Sure, he still regarded her suggestions as wrong, but he could have told her so in a different manner. He didn't have to be all rude! What was wrong with him? And on top of it all, he felt guilty for her absence in the throne room. The people were getting restless and some had even left the castle. But finally, the door opened, and Walter entered with the Queen.

"All rise for her Majesty the Queen," Walter boomed, and the people rose from their seats.

Andrea walked in with her head held high. The high collar of her dress made her look taller, and she wore an unreadable face, which somehow made her look years older. She locked her gaze straight forwards, so no matter how much Ben looked at her, she refused to look back. As she took her seat in the throne, the people sat down.

"Today, her Majesty the Queen will decide what is to be done with the Bowerstone Old Quarter, site of the Battle for Albion," Walter boomed. "Miss Page will offer her proposal. Master Reaver will stand against her."

"You may speak." Ben had never heard her like this; her voice, though soft and gentle, carried through the hall like thunder, and it send chills along his spine.

"Your Majesty," Page started. "Our victory came at a great cost to the city." She raised her voice, anger souring it. "You vowed to fight poverty, but our actions have made the problem worse! You must act now!" Andrea seemed unmoved, and so Page straightened her back with disdain in her eyes. "I ask that the Old Quarter be rebuilt and its former residents re-homed. You wouldn't just be helping those in great need; you'd be sending a message to your people. They're scared, your Majesty. Let them know they can count on you."

"Your Majesty," Reaver said dryly, "the Old Quarter was indeed devastated by your glorious triumph, but as its name subtly implies, it was _old_." He sighed. "The cost of rebuilding the area would be a colossal waste of money, and the people who called its decrepit shambles of streets and houses their 'home' is better off without it." He then chuckled. "Besides, one must question what they have to offer our society; why build homes for the inept and the unskilled?" He inhaled with a smirk. "I recommend you reject Page's proposal and keep the money for more _deserving_ endeavours."

Ben could just rip that Reaver's head off.

Walter sighed. "It was our actions that caused the devastation, your Majesty. But the final decision rests with you."

Andrea didn't seem to ponder, whatsoever, but she didn't give her answer.

Page rolled her eyes. "I know you have important matters on your mind," she said, "but you should never forget your _people_."

"Oh, please," Reaver mused next to her. "Your Majesty, we have more important things to worry about."

Andrea opened her mouth. "Now is not the time to build houses," she said, and as before, her voice carried through the room like thunder. "We have other priorities. The request is denied." She then rose.

Page gasped, as well as Ben and all of the audience, and narrowed her eyes. "You have turned your back on those who need you the most!" she spat and pointed a finger at the Queen. "I wonder; has _anything_ really changed since we overthrew your brother? Or did we just put another tyrant on the throne?"

The room fell silent with a collective gasp, all eyes focused on the Queen and the rebel.

"I am the Queen of Albion," Andrea said calmly. "My word is your law, hence you do not have the right to question it. You are free to leave this kingdom if it does not suit you." And with that, the young Queen left the room, leaving Ben not the only one who stood dumbfounded, but he couldn't deny the fact that he was, indeed, a bit impressed; she was far fiercer than he'd first thought.


	17. The Escape

**A/N: **Alright.. I had made a schedule where I would go to bed at midnight, so that I could get up at a resonable time tomorrow morning.. and yet here I am, 2 o'clock in the morning, feeling how my whole bloody plan is ruined. Oh well, I finished the chapter :) Hope you like it!

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Seventeen**_  
The Escape_

Nightfall. The castle had always looked beautiful in the thick darkness, when the dancing candle-lights from the many windows enlightened the space around it and made it look almost magical. It was her home, and would always be her home, even now, as she pulled the hood over her head, and turned her back on it and all what it meant. She couldn't do it. She couldn't be Queen, and the kingdom would be better off without her and without her decisions. Page hated her, Ben despised her, and she didn't even want to know what the others thought of her. So she ran, like a coward. She had stolen a Mercenary jacket from the dungeons, and a hooded cloak from the archery cabinet. She had a bundle of food under her arm as she swiftly made her way through Bowerstone Market and towards Millfields. Bernard was the only one accompanying her, and together they made it out of the city, unnoticed. Getting past the guards had been easy enough; the real challenge lay in getting past the vicious Balverines that found comfort in Millfields and Silverpines. But a swift and effective rush made her only have to deal with one of them, and soon enough, she had succeeded to make her way through both Millfields and the treacherous Silverpines, and climbed over the landslide to undiscovered land; Brightwood. There awaits nothing but darkness and dangers, had her father said, and so had Walter. It was a common belief in Albion these days, that south of the forest of Silverpines lay nothing but destruction and evil. Even though Andrea didn't want to believe in stories of ghosts and evil entities, she couldn't help but to feel how the eerie glow of the Brightwood Tower in the dim moonlight sent shivers down her spine. Once, this place had been teeming with life, but something had happened. If it was after her mother's great success against Lucien, she did not know. At the thought of her mother, she automatically touched the ring on her hand, before she continued south like a shadow in the dark.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben sighed, frustrated, as he knocked their secret knock for the seventh time. What was she doing? He had even taken the great risk by mumbling through the door, apologising for his selfish and arrogant manner earlier, but she still didn't open. She had to be in her room; her servants had said she had had her dinner in her room, and that she hadn't left since. Ben knocked again. "Andrea?" he hissed. "Please, Andrea, open up. Let's talk, please!" But the door remained closed. He couldn't even hear the slightest of movement from inside. But he couldn't just stand there, and accept the fact that she was ignoring him. No, Benjamin Finn was not a man to take things like that, so he left the door, and headed for the garden. He discreetly hurried behind the hedge and climbed up to her window. Luckily for him, it was already open. Wide open… as he carefully stepped inside her room, he found it empty. Her white dress with the red coat she had been wearing that day, lay spread upon the bed, and her weapons were not where they used to be. Ben's heart suddenly stopped; was she truly gone? And if so, where to? Without the slightest care of what people would say if they happened to see him storming out of the Queen's bedchambers, he threw the doors open and headed towards Walter. The whole bloody castle was asleep, so where was the Queen herself? He reached Walter's room, and as he shook the old man to wake, he was suddenly pushed away roughly, and Walter quickly sat up with widened, fearful eyes.

"Go away!" he shouted and bashed his arms around violently. "Stay away from me, you demons!"

"Walter?" Ben barked and rose. "Walter, wake up, it's me!"

"You'll never have me!" he roared. "You hear me!"

"Walter!" Ben roared back and grabbed hold on the man's arms. "Wake up! You're only dreaming!"

"You will never take me as you took her!" he roared, with cries thickening his speech. "You hear me? Never!"

"_Walter_!" Ben barked, and this caused the old man to snap out of his nightmare and stare bewildered at Ben.

"Ben?" he breathed. "Wh—what are you doing here?"

"Andrea's gone," he said as he released the man's arms.

Walter shook his head rapidly to wake up. "Are you sure?"

"She wasn't in her room, and her weapons were gone," Ben said.

"Well, where—you were in her _room_?"

Ben rolled his eyes.

"What were you doing in her _room_?"

"Don't worry about that," Ben said, "worry about the Queen being gone!"

"Right," Walter said, trying to focus. "Have you searched the castle? Have you talked to Logan?"

"I was rather hoping you would, actually," Ben said. "If I go there, I'm afraid I'll shoot him."

"Fine," Walter muttered and rose. "Go make sure the rest of the castle is searched through thoroughly. If she is nowhere to be found, send a search party out for her."

Ben nodded and left the room. He knew that he shouldn't take all this too seriously – she had probably just hid herself somewhere to read, or something. But nonetheless, he couldn't deny the bad feeling that was growing in the pit of his stomach, a feeling that told him that something was horribly, horribly wrong.

**.:*Ö*:.**

It had been a restless night for the Queen of Albion in the forest of Brightwood. She had found refuge from the ravenous Balverines in a cellar out on a small island by the Brightwood Tower, and there she had slept for at least two hours, until her worried gizzard forced her to move onwards. Bernard had slept protectively by her side, and followed her loyally as she made her way out in the light of the dawn. Brightwood truly lived up to its name in the golden morning light, and Andrea felt a bit relieved. However, she couldn't stop worrying about what would happen to the kingdom now when there was no one in charge. She knew Walter would be second-in-command, but for how long? How long until the rebellion would force their way to the throne without the slightest care about what will happen when the Darkness comes? Perhaps all Andrea needed was a bit of time to think through her situation in peace and quiet, to decide what to do, and then return? Perhaps she should have told someone why she left, and that she intended to come back? Because she _did_, didn't she?

"Oh, boy," Andrea sighed and looked at Bernard. "Could you see this coming? No?" She then sighed again and looked up. "Me neither."

The older parts of Brightwood were truly magical, though a bit darker. She knew that once, long ago, the Brightwood forest had been Greatwood, and a small part of Darkwood, and the further south she came, the darker and thicker the forest became. Although she had heard horrible stories about Darkwood, that it was supposed to be a dead landscape, grey and eerie, she only found the darkening trees exotic and mystical. This forest wasn't dead; it was teeming with life! Surely enough, it would be much more frightening in the dark, but in the light of the sunny afternoon, it seemed so serene and peaceful. But all that peacefulness would come to an abrupt end as Bernard started to growl. "What is it, boy?"

"_Shut up!_" a hissing male voice from the woods suddenly said, and Andrea quickly dove behind a tree. "_Did you 'ear voices?_"

"_Yeah, I did,_" another male voice said.

"_Let's—no, just leave it there, stupid! No, no, not—oh!_" the first one muttered. "_You're the stupidest person alive, you know tha'?_"

"_Sorry!_" the other one said. "_I didn' mean it!_"

"_Yeah, wha'ever, let's go!_"

Andrea breathed heavily and pulled Bernard closer to her as she heard the men come closer. Not long after, two mercenaries became visible to her, but they still hadn't noticed her.

"I swear I 'eard somethin'," one said as he held a rather large dagger in his one hand.

"Yeah, me too," the other one said.

"You sure the other ones didn' follow?"

"Yeah." Then the other one looked at the first. "You don' think it was a Balverine, d'yah? I 'ate those bloody dogs!"

"It's daylight, you moron!" the first one said. "No, it wasn' a bloody Balverine!"

"'Obbes?"

"No," the mercenary said and shook his head. "If it was 'obbes, they would've attacked us by now."

"Maybe it was just a… bunny?"

The first one turned slowly to glare angrily at the second one, but then he notice Andrea, huddling up against a tree, looking lost and frightened. A grin spread on his face. "No bunny, mate; it was a little girl…"

As the second mercenary turned, Andrea quickly pulled her sword and let Bernard slowly and aggressively approach them. "One more step, and you're dead!" she warned, but the two mercenaries laughed.

"Oh, come on, swee'heart!" the first one said and laughed morbidly. "We don' wanna 'urt yah, love!"

"Stay away!" Andrea growled. "I'm warning you!"

The first mercenary reached out for her, but Bernard growled violently and sprung to attack and bit the man in his hand, which made him shout in pain and anger and fall backwards. This caused the other man to shout and leap towards Andrea, who quickly charged a ball of fire and launched it towards the mercenary.

"Witch!" the bitten one roared. "Witch!" Both of the men leaped backwards to a safe distance, with fear playing all over their faces.

Andrea sprung to her feet and charged two more fireballs in each of her hands. "That's right," she breathed. "I am a witch, and if you don't run, now, as far as you can, you will find yourselves die a horrible death."

The two mercenaries took another step backwards, and Andrea was utterly pleased with herself as she saw the fear in their eyes. She had the upper hand, and she was confident she would win this battle without unnecessary bloodshed. And she was right; the mercenaries fled the scene, and Andrea let the flames in her hands fade before she took a deep breath and continued in the opposite direction as the mercenaries. Bernard followed, though he still growled after the two men. Andrea wondered whether or not they even knew who was sitting on the throne, because apparently, they hadn't recognised her. Perhaps no one south of Silverpines and the Mistpeak Mountains knew any of the previous revolution? Somehow, that scared her. Not that they would know she was royalty, because that would be rather refreshing, no, what scared her was the fact that if the inhabitants of the southern parts of Albion might not even care about Bowerstone at all. They all might have their own rules. When she came to think about it, the only known village south was Bloodstone, and she knew by facts that the citizens of Bloodstone followed their own rules. Hopefully, that was not where she would end up.

**.:*Ö*:.**

If there was something Ben disliked, it was to ride horses, but it was a lot easier and faster than to go by foot, and while leading a party of ten, he had searched though the whole of Bowerstone, Mourningwood, Rookridge and the old, abandoned graveyard where the old Hero Nostro was buried, and he would have been damned if he had to do it by foot. But the brown gelding served him faithfully throughout the night, and when the search party return by morning, the horse had deserved a good bit of rest. Ben, on the other hand, had no time to rest. Andrea was still missing, and he was starting to get real worried. Walter had called for an emergency meeting in the war-room, and Ben stormed through the halls, tired, sweaty and covered with dust and blood, probably scaring some of the maids on the way.

As he reached the war-room, Walter, amongst the other leaders including Logan and Reaver, stood around the map-table, waiting for the Major.

"No sign of her?" Logan asked, his face pained with worry.

Ben clenched his jaw, and then he shook his head. A silent exchange of words was shared between the two men, who just had lost the girl that meant the life to both of them.

Logan growled in frustration as he pushed himself away from the map-table and started pacing the room.

"Getting angry won't get her back, Logan," Walter said calming.

"Did you search everywhere?" Logan asked and looked at Ben.

"We've searched through every nook and cranny in both Bowerstone and Mourningwood," Ben said. "We've even dared ourselves into Sunset House, but she is nowhere to be found. We went as far as Rookridge tonight, and while I and five others returned here, the rest continued north. We're doing everything we can, and once this meeting is over, I will take my five men and ride south, while my other five men are going to continue through the mountains. She has to be somewhere."

"I'll come with you," Logan said.

Ben nodded, but Walter raised his hands.

"Of course she has to be somewhere!" he said. "But please, let us decide who will go search for her after we've settled what we will do about our current situation. We need someone to hold the fort."

"I think Andrea would have wanted you to hold things together, Walter," Logan said.

"Or," Page muttered, "we choose someone of the _people _to sit on the throne, one who could actually _feel _for the citizens of Bowerstone and do the right thing! And since I don't see anyone else of the people than me—"

"So you will volunteer, yourself, you mean?" Kalin muttered and glared at her fellow female leader. "Like none of us is one of the people?"

"Any of you? Of the people?" Page spat. "One royally brainwashed knight, one obnoxious and corrupt slum Lord, one _bandit_, one savage from a dead land, one old madman and one ex-pirate turned righteous scoundrel? You think you are leaders of the people?"

"Like you're any better?" Saker sneered. "Wanted for murder and lunacy? Yeah, that's one of the people, alright."

"Why, you little…" Page barked, and before anyone could really understand what was happening, it was full war inside the war-room. Swords were ringing and fists were flying through the room, and Ben was watching it all, feeling how his tiredness took the best of him, and he raised his pistol and fired it towards the ceiling. The fighting crowd fell silent, all eyes fixed upon him.

"What the bloody hell are you all doing?" he roared. "What are you trying to do? Fight a new revolution, maybe? The Darkness won't disappear by us fighting each other! No, Page, you're not sitting on the throne while Andrea is gone. In fact, no one's sitting in the throne in her place! We promised to help her, and we will do so. Yes, Logan, I agree with you; I think Walter should be the one in charge while we find the Queen. Does anyone else agree?"

The leaders looked rather ashamed by their sudden outburst, and Kalin was the first to step forwards to admit it. "You're right, Major," she said, "I agree. Walter should be in change."

"Better him than her," Saker muttered and nodded at Walter and Page.

"Walter is a sensible man," Sabine nodded. "I put my vote on you, old friend!"

All agreed, even though it took a bit longer for Page than for the others, and when everything was settled, Ben excused himself and went to the kitchen to at least get something to eat before he continued his search. The five men he brought back with him had all gone to get an hour of sleep or so, but all Ben needed was some food. Not long after, though, Logan joined him.

"Where do you suggest we search next?" There was a nagging anticipation in the former King's voice, telling the world that he wanted to get away from the castle, not only to find his beloved sister, but also to get away from the stress and the drama that raged through the royal home, something Ben could very well recognise.

"We still have Millfields and Silverpines to go through, and after that…" Ben sighed. "Well, if she's south of Silverpines, she could be anywhere. We can only pray to Avo that she's not intending to go to Bloodstone."

Logan said nothing, but nodded sharply.

"Give me a few more minutes, and I'll gather my men," Ben said.

"Send them to search through Westcliff and the whole Bandit Coast, while we travel south," Logan suggested. "That way we can search more areas faster. If I know my sister right, she is more probably going to descend into the southern woods in pure stupidity rather than to another civilization, and I don't think she would be very happy if seven men came to force her back." He sighed. "No, she would much rather have two people who care about her telling her to come home."

Ben nodded. After a short silence, he replied; "You're right."

"I know you hate me, Major," Logan said, "but please, do not try to kill me just yet, not before we've found her, at least."

"You are mistaken, Logan," Ben said in a restrained voice, "I do not want to kill you." Sure enough he hated the man, but somewhere in that strong feeling of hate, there was also a slight sense of respect.

**.:*Ö*:.**

It was a never ending day in the forest, it seemed. Bernard didn't seem to mind though, and run happily about with his nose stuck on the ground, chasing rabbits and birds, but Andrea was tired of the humid air and the unkempt paths. She was hungry and tired, but she had to wait until dark to find a safe place to hide, so that she wouldn't have to meet any Balverines. She felt a bit ashamed of herself for not daring to fight Balverines, but she simply didn't like them. There was something about them being people once that frightened her, and their fierce demeanour didn't exactly diminish her fear for them.

And as the darkness ascended, Andrea hurried to find somewhere to hide for the night. Howls in the distance meant that she should quicken her pace, and even Bernard whined and pressed himself closer to Andrea as they hurried through the woods, where the light disappeared faster than she'd expected. As the howls grew nearer, Andrea felt how her heart started beating faster, even though she knew she shouldn't be worried. But again, there was something about Balverines she didn't quite like, and she knew these parts of Albion were infested with them. So, she hurried even more, in the hopes of finding a ruin of some sort where she could hide, but nothing appeared, and she could hear how something stirred around her; they were there, watching her. Bernard almost crawled, with his ears back and his tail between his legs.

"Come on, boy," she breathed anxiously as she looked around, but the darkness was too thick to see through. She had no idea whether or not the beasts were coming closer, and finally, she was sprinting blindly through the forest with Bernard at her heels. But as soon as she had taken her first step in such a pace, she heard fierce growls and howls, and she knew they were after her. She gasped, terrified, as she was running in full pelt, breathing heavily in fear. Why couldn't she feel the same way as she felt in Reaver's Manor? Why couldn't she let her magic come through, like she had then? Now, all she could feel was fear, and the magic was pulsating, slowly and passively, deep inside of her, not willing to come out any time soon. Fighting these giant wolves with sword and pistol would be downright lunacy, she knew that, so she had no other choice than to run and hope for the best, praying to Avo that she would get away, no matter how well she knew it was impossible. And as she feared, a pair of glowing, yellow eyes appeared in front of her, and in a small string of moonlight, she could suddenly see a giant, black Balverine looming over her, and she came to a halt, so abruptly, the stopping of motion forced her to the ground, and she yelled in fear and the black Balverine launched towards her, and she quickly covered her head with her arms, but there was no hit, no pain. The Balverine jumped over her, and then there were horrible growls and roars in the dark. She peeked through her fingers to see what was going on, and in the small streaks of moonlight, she could see the giant, black Balverine fight three other, smaller Balverines, and she gasped. What was happening? Could the Balverine—no… no, that wasn't possible! The Balverine couldn't be… protecting her, a human, right? No, it was more believable that they were fighting over who would get to eat her. She hurried on her feet. Bernard was barking ahead of her, and she ran towards him, and he started to run further away. But she didn't get very far, for all of a sudden, she received a heavy blow towards her side, and she crashed straight into a thick three, and she lost her breath. However, again, there was no Balverine attacking her. She heard the growls and roars nearer, but nothing hurt her. Her head was spinning; the blow had been harder than she'd first imagined. She tried to keep her eyes opened, but it was nearly impossible, and finally, she gave in and closed her eyes. All she could rely on now was her ears, and she still heard the growls and roars and the tearing of flesh, and she shuddered. The fight went on for some time, and she struggled to keep herself conscious, but in the end, she simply couldn't stay focused. The last thing she could hear was the haunting shriek of a soul departing, and howls disappearing into the distance, followed by heavy, steady breaths coming closer to her. She could feel how someone was looking down upon her, and with one last burst of effort, she opened one eye and saw two glowing, yellow eyes looking down on her, not hungrily, but… curiously. It was all too much, and she took one last sharp breath before everything went black.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben had never, ever, not in his wildest dreams, imagined that he could actually have a good time with Logan of all people, but there they were, by a warming fire, in the middle of Brightwood, late at night, after a thorough search through Millfields, Silverpines, old Southcliff and Brightwood, having a good time. Though they were both worried about Andrea, the mood was rather cheerful. Well, they had consumed a bit of ale, but not all too much. They could still defend themselves from the roaming Balverines if they had to, and as it happened, both Ben and Logan found that they had a few things in common; one of those things were the joy of killing off Balverines.

"Oh, but you don't beat me!" Ben said. "Three years ago, in Silverpines; the brigade has splint into groups of five, and I am running one of the groups, and we have just taken control of the south western part of the forest. Now, most of the men in my group are inexperienced when it comes to Balverines, and they're scared out of their wits. Then, out of nowhere comes this giant, grey Balverine, its eyes almost red with fury. Two of my men faint on spot, so we're only three left. We all fire our guns towards it, but it doesn't stop. I tell you, this one is like a giant monster. It kills one of my men, and now we're only two left. My fellow soldier looks at me, and I can see the life in his eyes disappear; he knows he's going to die. This Balverine is no bloody puppy, trust me. My fellow soldier takes the flight, and I am trapped. So what do I do? I raise my pistol, but I'm all out of bullets. Now, this is where it gets tricky; I am trapped between a steep hill and a giant, bloodthirsty Balverine, with no bullets in my gun, and I know I will never win against this monster in close combat. So now what?" He chuckled and shook his head as he took another sip of the ale. "I will never forget it, I tell you. There, on the ground, lies a broken, silver spear, probably from some unfortunate traveller. I have less than half a second to think before I bend down to grab it, and the Balverine attacks, and I drive it through its throat, and the Balverine falls on top of me and shrieks and hisses while it takes its last breath, and the departing soul wail and shriek before the creature falls limb over me. That, mate, is a nerve-chilling handshake with Death himself."

Logan laughed and shook his head. "Well, Major, I have to say that you indeed have a passion for story-telling."

"That's not a story," Ben said. "Well, yes, it's a bloody brilliant story, and it's a _true_ story."

"I don't doubt you," Logan said and raised his hands. Then he sighed and looked into the fire. "You think she's dead?"

Ben almost choked on his ale as the former King asked that horrible question. "Dead?"

"We've searched everywhere, Major," Logan sighed. "I find it very hard to believe she has gone any more south than this. The only thing that lies south is Wraithmarsh and Deepwood, and if, Avo forbid, she's entered any of those areas, she's doomed."

"Rather Wraithmarsh than Deepwood, I can tell you that," Ben muttered. "In Wraithmarsh at least we know what she will be up against."

"I know she's a Hero," Logan said, "but I'm not that convinced she could beat a Banshee."

"Andrea is tougher than you give her credit for," Ben said. "She'll do fine. If she is in Deepwood, however, there is a chance we'll never see her again." No matter how much he hated that thought himself, he couldn't deny it. Darkwood was a dangerous place, said to hold unbelievable dangers, and Ben himself had never dared to enter it. No, if he knew Andrea well enough, she would wade her way through Wraithmarsh towards Bloodstone, simply to make a statement, whatever that statement might be.

"I'd rather see her in Deepwood than in Bloodstone," Logan muttered. "Who knows what those bloody pirates will do to her?"

"Thanks, mate," Ben muttered. "Look, Bloodstone isn't that bad. Take if from someone who knows."

"You know this by experience?" Logan asked and raised a brow.

"It's not exactly a secret that I was a pirate back in the days," Ben shrugged and took a sip of his ale.

"No, I suppose it's not," Logan muttered, and drank from his ale.

In the distance, they could hear the howls of Balverines, but none of them bothered about it. If the beasts were to attack them, they would be ready, but for now, both of them leaned back against a tree each and enjoyed the little rest they allowed themselves.

**.:*Ö*:.**

_He walks through the dark cavern again, with nothing but a dying torch as light. The shadows are gathering around him, and no matter where he goes, which way he chooses, there is only darkness surrounding him. _

_A wheezing sound. He turns around, but he can't see through the thickness of darkness, but he knows something is there, hiding in the shadows, watching his every move. He continues walking, even though his mind tells him to go back to the stairs and run back to the shores. Perhaps he could swim to safety? But he cannot turn. Not now. Another wheezing sound, and this time, he doesn't turn, but runs forwards, away from the threatening sounds. But no one follows. _

_Then suddenly, a booming voice echoes in his ears; "_The light you bring will die. The light inside you will die. All that you are will die._" _

Walter flung his eyes open and he sat up in his bed, soaked with sweat and shaking with feverish chills. He could still hear the echoes of the voice in this very room, and his heart was racing. They were coming more frequently now, the nightmares. They were hovering above him, laughing at him, taunting him. He grabbed the candle from his nightstand and lighted it with his tinderbox. The light brought him some comfort, but it wasn't all too much. The shadows were still hugging around him, and he shuddered in his bed, the whites of his eyes showing.

_Be corrosive. Be pernicious. Be diseased. Be devoured. _

He held his breath. If the voice was actually sounding through the room, or if it was only inside of his head, he didn't know, but he didn't like it.

_Watch your flesh turn to black. Watch your thoughts turn to black. Watch your fate turn to black_.

Walter sprung to his feet and grabbed his sword that stood resting against the foot of the bed. "Come on, then!" he roared. No bloody Child of the Dark would slaughter him tonight. No, Sir Walter Beck would fight it. He would fight it to the very end. And just as he had made that decision, a figure appeared from the dark, a shadow with glowing, red eyes…

"_Walter_," it wheezed. "_Walter_."

"Don't you dare come any closer, you godforsaken thing!" Walter growled and raised his sword to swing it towards the shadow, but it moved, and the heavy sword hit the floor.

The shadow laughed at him, mocked him, and danced around him like a little child. "_Poor little knight_," it said, "_playing around with wooden swords…_"

"Go to hell, you bloody demon!" Walter roared and swung his sword, and this time, it hit the shadow figure, and it disappeared. "You will never have me! You can stay in your dark hell and rot!"

_You can never escape darkness. It flocks to you always_. The voice echoed through the room, so loudly it caused Walter to drop his sword and cover his ears. _You are a fragile thing. You and your kind dissolve so easily._

"Shut up!" Walter barked, and suddenly, he saw another shadow attack him, and he could feel the shadowy hands reach out for him.

"_Walter!_" it wheezed.

"I said," Walter roared and grabbed hold of the shadow's throat, "_shut up_!" He could feel the shadow turn more and more solid, and he tightened his grip even more around its throat, and the shadowy hands flew up to the throat and started to tear at them, and the shadow figure started to kick around wildly.

"_Walter_!" it wheezed again, and the Darkness's chilly laugh echoed in the room. "_Walter_!"

But Walter tightened his grip and clenched his jaw so tightly, his face started to turn red. "Die!"

But the shadow figure turned more and more solid, and soon enough, a colour started to appear in the darkness; the colour of flesh. "Walter!" Its voice changed, and somehow, Walter recognised it. "Sir! _S-sir_!"

And there, from the light of the candle, he could see brown, panicked eyes staring at him from the face of a boy Walter knew all too well. Walter gasped loudly and flung backwards as he realised that the one he was choking was none other than Elliot. Walter pressed himself to the foot of the bed, breathing heavily as Elliot coughed and stroke his throat with his hands. He stood on his knees, his face red, and he had trouble breathing.

"I'm sorry…" Walter breathed. "I'm sorry… I thought—I thought that…"

"What's gone into you?" Elliot croaked, looking up at the frightened old man.

Walter shook his head. "I thought—I thought I saw…"

Elliot looked at him. "I heard you shout," he said. "I thought you were being attacked."

"I'm sorry," was the only thing Walter could say. The voice was still laughing at him, but form somewhere in the distance, and Walter groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"Please, Walter," Elliot said as he rose. He was breathing normally now, and his face had regained his natural colour. "Is something wrong?"

Walter said nothing, huddled to the foot of the bed like a little child, shaking like a leaf in the autumn.

"Walter?" Elliot breathed and reached out to touch the old knight, but he cringed away from the hand. "Walter, look at me." He placed a hand on Walter's shoulder, before the man cringed away from the touch. "Avo, you're burning up!" Elliot swallowed. "Stay here! I'll call for a physician." And before Walter could say another word, ask the boy to say, Elliot had left the room, leaving poor Walter alone in the threatening, pressing darkness, where the taunting voice still surrounded him, and where the red, glowing eyes of the Children suddenly were everywhere.

_The Children are here to play…_


	18. Deepwood

**A/N: **Man, this really isn't good for my sleeping habits.. it's 4:10 am over here. Not good. Not good at all! T_T But, here's a new chapter! Hope you all like it!

Enjoy!

**(SHAMLESS ADD: **Please, check out my new _Jackson Brodie_ story, and be amazed by the awesomeness of Mr Jason Isaacs (who star as Jackson Brodie in the Case Histories TV series!)** END OF SHAMELESS ADD!)  
**

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Eighteen**_  
Deepwood_

Andrea's head was pounding, but it was sort of a good pounding; a healing pounding. Warmth spread through her body, and she felt… calm. She could hear the soft and silenced sounds of feet hitting a soft floor, and a fire sparkling somewhere near. There was a smell reaching her nose, a sweet and musty kind of smell, a smell that got her stomach going; food. She slowly opened her eyes. At first, everything was blurry, but it soon cleared, and she could see a wooden ceiling with visible, thick log rafters. She turned her head and met a pair of, curious, big blue eyes; a little girl was staring at her with a wide smile.

"She's awake!" the girl gasped delightfully. "She's awake! Look, auntie, look!"

A woman sat down next to the girl and looked at Andrea. Her blue eyes were as friendly as could be. "Welcome, your Majesty," she said and bowed.

Andrea forced herself to a sitting position. "Where am I?"

"In Deepwood, you Majesty," the woman said. "My name is Agnes."

"You… you know who I am?" Andrea asked, a bit sceptically. Obviously they knew who she was, but… well, how? Deepwood had long been seen as its own land, so why would they care about who sat on the throne?

"But of course!" the woman, Agnes, smiled. But her smile faded and was replaced by worry. "You're a long way from home, your Majesty," she said. "Pray, what led you to such a dangerous place?"

"I'm…" Andrea frowned and put her hand on her forehead. "I wasn't…"

But Agnes hushed her. "Don't exhaust yourself, you Majesty. You need to rest."

"What happened?" Andrea asked. "I don't… I remember I was attacked by Balverines, but… well, there was something wrong with one of them… it didn't attack me, but the others!"

Agnes nodded. "That was Loki, my brother."

"Your—your brother… your b-brother?" Andrea breathed. "W-what—what do you mean, 'your brother'? How could that have been your brother? I-is your brother—how—how can—"

"Don't worry, your Majesty," Agnes said softly. "It's alright." The woman started to push Andrea gently back onto the bed, but Andrea struggled.

"What do you mean 'brother'?" she asked, this time more panicked. "What is this? Where am I?"

"Calm down," Agnes said as she tried to push Andrea down, now more harshly, but Andrea wouldn't yield.

"Where am I?" she shouted, and the little girl quickly withdrew to a corner. "Let go of me! Let go—where am I? Who are you?"

"Please, your Majesty!" Agnes said as she struggled to hold Andrea down.

"Let me go!" Andrea roared and pushed the woman aside and rose from the bed, and just as she was about to take a step, the door flew open, and a tall, dark-haired man stepped inside.

"What's going on?" His voice boomed through the room, and caused Andrea to take a step back and instinctively reach for her sword, which wasn't where it used to be.

"She's in shock," Agnes said as she rose from the dirt floor. "I shouldn't have—I should have waited."

The tall man looked at Andrea, and then at Agnes and then back at Andrea. "Your Majesty," he said calmly. "You don't have to be afraid. You are amongst friends."

Andrea backed slowly up against the wall. She had never seen these people in her entire life, and they called themselves 'friends'? They looked almost wild, dressed with fur, wool and coarse linen, and the tall man's dark hair was long with some braids. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"My name is Loki, and that is my sister Agnes, and my daughter June," the man said, just as calmly as before. "We are people of the Ch'cja tribe here in Deepwood… a wolf tribe…"

"What?" Andrea breathed and pressed herself even closer to the wall.

"I was the one who saved you last night," the man, Loki, said. "May I ask, your Majesty; why didn't you defend yourself?"

Andrea almost couldn't breathe. "Y-you're… you're the black Balverine?"

Loki nodded.

Andrea struggled to get some air as she slid down along the wall. "I don't—you can't—I…"

"Agnes, get some water," Loki mumbled as he quickly kneeled in front of Andrea to aid her. "Your Majesty, try to breathe. You shouldn't have risen from bed yet."

Andrea didn't know what to do, but the strong arms supporting her and lifting her up were welcomed, for she did not know what was up and what was down any longer. She was laid onto the bed again, carefully and tenderly, and she felt a weight land next to her, and a careful hand on her forehead.

"It alright, your Majesty," Loki murmured calmly. "Everything is going to be fine. You're just a bit shocked, and still a bit battered from last night." He caressed her forehead and hair gently. "June, would you please fetch a bowl of soup? I believe the Queen is hungry."

"Yes, father," the girl, June, said and hurried away, just as Agnes appeared with a cup of water.

"You must drink, your Majesty," she said as let the edge of the cup rest again Andrea's lips, and Loki carefully lifted her head, so that she could take a sip.

As the cold water poured down her throat, she truly felt how thirsty she was, and drank greedily. When Agnes pulled the cup away and Loki put her head down again, she sighed, feeling how she calmed down. It was alright. Everything was alright. They didn't want to hurt her. They… they were… well, friendly Balverines. That idea conflicted with her believes, but nevertheless, she had to accept it. "Where is Bernard?" she croaked and looked at Loki. He had blue eyes, too; icy, piercing. They reminded her of Ben. _Ben_…

"The dog?" Loki asked, and Andrea nodded. "He's with Darius. Don't worry; he's in good hands."

"Is he hurt?"

Loki chuckled. "No. A fierce one, he is. Bit me when I lifted you. But he realised quicker than you did that I wasn't the enemy."

Andrea nodded. "Thank you."

His smile was reassuring and comforting, and Andrea felt like she could finally relax.

**.:*Ö*:.**

"Sir Walter, your values are abnormally high," Dr Sanders said as he inspected the thermometer. "I recommend you to stay in bed for a day or two."

"No," Walter muttered. "I have things to do."

"Please, sir," Elliot pleaded from the foot of the bed. "I didn't recognise you last night. Something is wrong. Perhaps the stress is a bit—"

"Don't you think I can manage?" Walter barked and glared at the boy.

"I would say Master Elliot is right," Dr Sanders said. "Your blood pressure is very high, and this is clearly stress related. Now, if you continue on to push your own limits like you do, sir, you might end up giving yourself a heart-attack."

"It was only a bloody nightmare," Walter growled through gritted teeth. "I'm fine. I feel just fine."

"Walter," Elliot said and frowned worryingly, "you almost killed me."

"Well, didn't your mum ever tell you not to wake people that are sleepwalking?" Walter growled.

"Aggression," Dr Sanders mumbled to himself and looked down in his papers and scribbled something on them.

"W-why are you writing that down?" Walter asked. "Stop that! Stop writing it all down!"

Dr Sanders sighed and scribbled down something more.

"I said; stop it!" Walter barked.

Dr Sanders then sighed and looked up. "Sir Walter, have you been experiencing things out of the ordinary since your return to the castle?"

Walter sighed, frustrated. "No."

"Nothing at all?"

"No."

"Walter," Elliot sighed, "you said you wanted me to die. You were not yourself. What were you seeing?"

"How should I know?" Walter lied. "I was asleep!"

"You mumbled, when you were _awake_, that you _'thought you saw'_, but what it was, you never said!" Elliot said. "We only want your very best, Walter."

"Right," Dr Sander sighed as he rose and handed over a small bottle to Walter. "Take this toxin twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Three drops in a glass of preferable beverage should do the trick. It will help your blood pressure. And here is some Moonbite-herb, for your sleep. Mix three teaspoons of this in hot water and drink before you go to bed, and you will sleep like a baby." The doctor packed all of his instruments and bottles and papers in his bag and looked at both Walter and Elliot. "I will return this afternoon to see your progress, sir."

"Is it something serious, doctor?" Elliot asked, but Walter scoffed.

"I have my suspicions that Sir Walter might be suffering from something we call battle-associated stress reactions, which basically means that Sir Walter has been through too much for his mind to process, and thus he can be haunted by memories of traumatic events, and cause the body to react in such violent manner."

"You can keep your fancy bloody terms to yourself, doctor," Walter muttered and put the medicine on the nightstand. "I am not ill. It was just a nightmare."

"Sir Walter," Dr Sanders sighed. "With all due respect, sir, but I would take that medicine if I were you. Battle-associated stress reactions tend to show themselves through very realistic dreams, and in worse cases, hallucinations, wake dreams." He gave Elliot a long glance before he returned to Walter. "Ultimately, if it is battle-associated stress reactions – which I'm not saying for certain that it is – you could end up killing someone."

"Or, I might just be a tiny bit stressed at the moment," Walter sneered, sick and tired of all this. He was not ill; it was that bloody creature from Aurora, that demon of hell, that taunted him. He knew exactly what was happening to him, because he had seen it before. But he would not let it win. Not yet. If he could stand it for less than a year, he could beat it. If Andrea beat the Darkness before the Darkness beat him, he would survive. "As you both know, the regent of this country is gone without a trace, and I have an entire kingdom to run in her stead. So, forgive me if I might be a bit on edge, but I'm not bloody ill!"

"Take the medicine, Sir Walter," the doctor said. "If you're not ill, it won't do you any harm, and if you are, it will help you significantly."

"You can't make me!"

"Of course I can't—"

"Walter!" Elliot said. "Stop being childish! It's for your own good! You need to be in your best health if you're going to be able to hold the fort while Andrea's gone!"

"I am not ill!" Walter barked.

Elliot crossed his arms and shook his head, and Dr Sanders sighed heavily. He then walked towards the door, and Elliot followed. Walter couldn't make out any particular words, but he knew they were talking about him, and he didn't like that. Not at all. But he let it be. He didn't have the energy or motivation to scold them anymore. They treated him like a child, but he wouldn't stand it for much longer. He wasn't ill; he was possessed. And he knew exactly what awaited him, and he had his own way of dealing with it, and no strange medicine from an inexperienced man would ever make him better.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben and Logan stared, frightfully and respectfully, at the towering forest. It was like a wall, separating the younger forest from the ancient, thick forest of Deepwood. Mysterious breezes from the dark brought warnings and hostility. The horses didn't like it, and stomped nervously with their hooves and twitched awkwardly with their heads. The two riders looked at each other.

"You think she's in there?" Ben asked lowly.

"I don't know," Logan sighed. "Is it really worse than Wraithmarsh?"

"I have no idea," Ben said. "That's what scares me."

"I've heard stories," Logan muttered. "Horrible stories. My mother never even entered this forest. Ever. She said there was a… strange energy coming from it. As if the forest itself was alive…"

"Well, I suppose your mother felt some sort of magical mumbo-jumbo, and trust me, no matter how sceptic I might be, I can almost feel it, too," Ben muttered and looked around. The wind gently grabbed hold of his clothes and hair, and even though they weren't cold, he still shuddered violently. "I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be in Wraithmarsh at this point…"

"I agree," Logan said. Then he raised a brow. "If you and I, two grown men, soldiers, fear this forest; do you really think a seventeen-year-old would enter it, alone?"

Ben chuckled. "No offence, mate, but your sister is not exactly the braves of the bunch."

"I know," Logan mused.

"That settles it, then," Ben said, in relief. "We go through Wraithmarsh and Bloodstone first."

"Agreed." And with that, the two men quickly left the terrifying forest.

However, even though Ben felt relief for leaving the ancient woodland, he couldn't let go of the feeling that just because they really didn't want to enter it, she would be in that very area.

**.:*Ö*:.**

The fire from the hearth was warming and comforting as Andrea sat curled up in a corner of her bed with the rough woollen blanket swept around her. She was still trying to process the fact that she was surrounded by Balverines, and that they were friendly ones. She had eaten a hearty meal, and Bernard had returned to her side. Loki had told her that once she was ready, she would meet Darius, the old wizard that was the village's Elder, but she didn't feel quite up to it just yet.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Loki stepped inside, with an apologising smile. "I hope I'm not disturbing you, your Majesty?"

"No, not at all," Andrea smiled back.

Loki nodded and sat down next to her after he'd thrown another log into the fire. "How are you feeling, your Majesty?"

"I would feel a lot better if you stopped calling me that," Andrea chuckled. "I have a name; it's Andrea."

"Forgive me," he said. "How are you feeling, Andrea?"

As the man said her name, with such warmth and such respect, she couldn't help the pleasant chills that ran along her spine. He was rather handsome, she couldn't deny that, and not in a typical way, but in a wild, untamed way. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she locked her eyes on her lap. "I'm feeling much better, thank you."

"I understand if you're still a bit shocked," Loki said. "I mean, why wouldn't you, when all you've ever know about Balverines is that they're dangerous?"

"I can't deny that I'm still a bit frightened by the whole situation, no," Andrea said and shifted awkwardly.

"Your Ma—I mean Andrea," Loki mumbled, "why didn't you defend yourself?"

Andrea shook her head. "I don't know." She sighed and looked at the wolfman. "I'm not a good warrior. I'm more of a… Will user, I suppose, and the magic was just… well, too far inside. I'm a terrible swordswoman and a lousy shot, and since I couldn't conjure any magic, I figured my best chances were to run…"

"To run is _never_ a good chance against a Balverine," Loki said and raised an eyebrow.

"I know that now," Andrea scoffed. Then she sighed. "Loki, thank you. For everything."

"It was an honour to save you, your Majesty," Loki said and bowed, but then he looked up with a gentle smile. "Forgive me; I mean, Andrea."

She had to look away. It was so foolish of her to find this man as attractive as she did. It was only the situation. Only the situation…

"And there was another thing," Loki suddenly said. "Darius would really like to talk to you. He said you could come whenever you're ready, but I reckon you'd feel much better when you've talked to him."

"Who is this man?" Andrea asked.

"He's a mighty wizard," Loki said. "He was the one who founded this village and this tribe. He's the All-father."

Andrea gulped. She didn't know she would meet such an important person. "Is he," she said carefully, "mean?"

Loki raised his eyebrows. "Daruis? Mean?" He laughed. "No, your Majesty—"

"Andrea."

"Andrea," he nodded. "He is not mean. He's been like a father to us all. Why do you worry?"

She sighed and shook her head. The only mighty person she had met was her father, and even though he did have his good sides, she remembered his bad sides clearer. "Forgive me," she said. "I'm just being silly. You're right. I should meet this Darius."

Loki nodded and rose. "Let me then escort you, my Lady." He extended a hand, and Andrea took it. It was warm, a bit calloused and wrapped around hers and made her hand look like a child's hand. Her heart sank, but she kept a happy face.

They left the small cottage she had been sleeping in, and as she entered the paths of the village, she looked around. The forest around was thick, dark and mystical. It was like the towering trees and the deep green light hovering over her brought whispers with the breezes, and gave the impression that she was far, far from home. Loki led her through the village, which was more of a settlement, really, to a giant tree which had a door at the front.

"He's waiting for you," Loki said.

"In there?" Andrea asked sceptically.

"That's the tree of Avo," Loki said. "According to Darius, it was only a small plant, hidden in the shadows, when he first came here. So Darius made way for the sunlight to shine through, and the small plant suddenly sprung to the skies, growing so tall and so big, it simply must have been a gift from Avo. Darius figured that instead of using the tree to make wood for a cottage, he could simply use the tree _as_ his cottage."

Andrea nodded, not yet entirely convinced. But the door suddenly swung open, and a little Hobbe, dressed in a grey robe walked out of the tree with his hands behind his back. He glanced over at Andrea and Loki, and then he continued away, into the forest. Andrea looked up at Loki. "Please, don't tell me _that_ was Darius…"

Loki laughed. "No, that was G'pek," he said.

"G'pek?"

"Yes," Loki said. "He's one of the elders, too. He's Darius's companion. He teaches philosophy to the young."

"A Hobbe, teaching philosophy?" Andrea didn't believe it. It was all too strange.

"I know it may sound a bit twisted to you, but he's an excellent teacher," Loki said, and then he smirked a bit. "You'd be amazed by how many things that aren't what they seem." Then he nodded. "But you really should get going. Darius is and old man, he won't wait forever."

Andrea nodded and took a deep breath before she headed for the door in the tree. It opened with a squeal, and carefully she entered. Roots were hanging from the ceiling and the floor was only compressed dirt, but very fine dirt nevertheless. Bookshelves filled with dusty old books, and cupboards with their door opened filled the rather small room, and in the far left corner was a sparkling fire. On the right from the entrance was a table right in front of a round window. On the table lay heaps of documents and parchment, with ink and a quill adoring the top of a pile of old books. Behind the table, right below the window, sat and old man with long, silvery hair and beard, bent over the table, reading something from an old book. He hadn't noticed her coming, and not until a kettle from somewhere whistled, did he look up.

"Ah," he said in awe as his icy blue eyes met Andrea through a pair of small, oval glasses. "You must be Andrea! Sit! Sit!"

Andrea swallowed before she took a seat on a chair by the table.

The old man snapped his fingers, and a kettle came hurling through the air together with two cups, and landed in front of him. "Care for some tea, dear?"

Andrea nodded, amazed by what she just had witnessed.

As the old man poured her a cup of tea, Andrea took a closer look at him. He looked somewhat familiar. Andrea couldn't figure out what, but there was something about that old wizard that made her recognise him. His icy blue eyes looked at her over the small, oval glasses, and his silver hair and beard looked almost shining. The willpower glowed through his veins and made patterns on his skin, and no matter how hard she tried to keep her posture and face, she couldn't help but to stare. "Who are you?"

"I'm just an old man," the wizard said with a playful smile. "An old man in an old forest, far away from the new world."

"How old are you, exactly?"

The man shrugged. "A couple of hundred years or so." He sighed lightly while he poured himself some of the tea. "To be frank, I lost count after my hundred and thirty-seventh birthday."

Andrea widened her eyes. The only one she knew to be that old was Theresa, and she was more of a... well, a ghost, really, rather than a human. "So… you're Darius?"

"Oh, I have had many names," the man said as he rose slowly and grabbed the kettle and a wooden staff and walked over to the sparkling fire. His twisted, wooden staff supported him as he sat down by the warm fire and placed the kettle next to it, "for I have lived many lives. But yes, my dear, you can call me Darius. Darius of Deepwood."

"I'm Andrea—"

"Queen of Albion, I know," the old man, Darius, smiled. "I'm proud of you, child."

Without really knowing why, those words gave her such warmth, it felt like if she was a child, sitting with her grandfather, far away from the everyday life, and she had a feeling she would get along fairly well with this old, mysterious wizard.

**.:*Ö*:.**

"Briar Rose," Ben said after a moment's thought. They had just passed the entrance of old Oakvale, and during daylight, they had few dangers to fear in Wraithmarsh. "Yeah, definitely Briar Rose. Without her, this world would be infinitely poorer."

Logan huffed. "Briar Rose?" He shook his head. "Are you insane? No, Briar Rose is_ nothing_ compared to the old Heroes, like Nostro and Solcius and Scythe!"

"Oh, come on!" Ben grunted. "They're all ancient! No, I'm talking about the Guild's glory days!"

"But still," Logan said. "You can't say that Briar Rose of all people was the ultimate Hero! From what I've read and heard, she was nothing but an ignorant, irritating, arrogant—"

"Suits me perfectly," Ben said.

Logan chuckled. "For some reason, that's not very surprising."

"She was my big love when I was a young lad," Ben said. "I always wanted to learn to 'shoot like Briar', as we say where I come from. The Heroes' Guild was the single most exciting thing when I was a child! I'm sure it was for you, too!"

"Yeah, well, I was taught about the Old Kingdom," Logan sighed. "About the Archons and The Court and about how our world was created as we know it. My tutors never really wanted me to read about the Heroes' Guild and all of the adventures. 'They will pollute your mind', they said."

"Sounds like some harsh tutors," Ben mumbled. He had never gone to school. He had never had anyone taught him anything, except for how to pick-pocketing. "Can't see how you could coupe."

"I was seven," Logan chuckled. "Seven and irrationally wild. Everything was exciting, and I wanted to become just like mother. Walter told me all those stories about the Guild and the Heroes and the dangers and the adventures… and while mother encouraged my enthusiasm, father wanted me to think and act like a King, knowing that one day, I would wear the crown." He sighed. "And I guess when mother understood I, at the age of ten, hadn't inherited her powers, some of her encouragement faded away, and I was left to be shaped and moulded by father and my many tutors."

"Sounds depressing, mate," Ben huffed.

"But necessary," Logan added. "Without proper education and guidance, I would never been able to take over the throne at such a young age. To be honest, I'm worried about Andrea; she's never been much for listening to old tutors, and she's younger than I was when I took the throne."

"With a bit of guidance, she'll be fine," Ben said. "She's smart and she's wise, and none of us have been willing to admit that."

"Perhaps you're right," Logan said. "Perhaps all she needs in a bit of encouragement, and—"

"Hey, Logan," Ben cut off, looking suspiciously out over the eerie wastelands, "don't you think it's a bit calm out here?"

"Well, it's daytime," Logan said. "As far as I know, Hollow Men only come out at night, and Banshees… well, I reckon they prefer the dark, too."

"But don't you think it's a bit _too_ calm?" Ben asked. "There's only this… eerie, pressing absence… it's not right."

"Well, I suppose there ought to be some birds or something out here," Logan said as he, too, started to look around. "Maybe we should get a move on…"

"Yeah, I don't like this," Ben muttered. He remembered Wraithmarsh as one of the worst places he'd ever been to, even during daytime, when the dead land is usually infested with wolves and Hobbes… but now, nothing.

"How far is Bloodstone?" Logan asked. "Perhaps someone there knows what's happening?"

"I bet they will be just as puzzled as we are," Ben sighed.

They urged their horses onwards, and nowhere did they find any traces of life – or death. They reached Bloodstone within hours, but what they saw was not expected; half the town lay in ruins, where the harbour was destroyed, and most of the buildings crippled. Ben and Logan exchanged worried looks before they descended down to the city centre to figure out what was going on.

Bodies lay in their path, mangled and mutilated, and devastated cried were heard from the citizens. Two men greeted them by the Leper's Arms, or what was left of it.

"Who are you and what do you want?" one of them, a giant of a man, asked and raised a pistol.

Ben sighed and raised his hands. "We're not here to fight."

"Finney?" a voice said from behind them.

Ben turned around, and there was Rancid Rory, a known old pirate he'd once sailed with. "Rory!"

"Finney, we were wonderin' when you'd come back to us," the man said and took a few, wobbling steps towards them. He had been old already when Ben sailed with him, and now, he looked almost ancient. "Nasty, innit? Everythin's gone…"

"You know these men, Rory?" the big man asked.

"Aye," Rory said. "It's Finney 'ere, Ben Finn, a good lad! But you," he said and leaned towards Logan, "you I don' recognise."

Logan straightened, clearly distressed, and Ben cleared his throat. "This is His Royal Highness Logan of Albion."

"Royalties," the other one of the two men spat. "Wha' do we care about royalties? Wha' are you doin' 'ere? Collectin' taxes?"

"Have any of you seen my sister?" Logan asked and looked at the two men.

The big man laughed scornfully. "The Princess? Nah, I think we'd known if a Princess came here…"

"Oh," said the other, "I reckon we'd known it very well, indeed…" He laughed disgustingly, and made Ben cringe with spite.

"Don't you dare talk about my sister—" Logan growled lowly and neared the man, but Ben cut him short and held him back.

"We're not here to collect taxes," he said. "We were here… well, that not really important. What is important is; what the bloody hell happened here?"

"Oh, Finney, it came out of nowhere!" Rory said and pointed towards the sea. "Like a big wave washin' over the town, it was!"

"What was?" Logan asked.

"The dark," Rory answered. "I've never seen anythin' like it!"

"It left the city shattered before it disappeared," the big man said, and then he reached his hand out to shake it with the two newcomers. "Let's put our differences aside; I'm Victor. This is Ivan."

"Major Benjamin Finn," Ben said and shook the two men's hands, and Logan did the same.

"My little girl disappeared," Victor said. "I haven't seen her since the attack, and I can't find her amongst the ruins."

"How long ago was the attack?" Ben asked.

"A day ago," Victor answered.

"What about Wraithmarsh?" Logan asked. "Why is it empty?"

"I don't know," Victor muttered. "Wraithmarsh was abandoned by any creature – live as dead – about a week ago, and then this… it was as if the creatures of the marshes felt it coming."

"Wha' are you gonna do about our houses, eh?" the other man, Ivan, spat. "Will we get a fundin'?"

Ben raised a brow and looked at Logan. "What do say, Logan; should the people of Bloodstone, who rob and pillage the honourable people of Albion, get a funding?"

Logan shook his head and looked at the two men. "I'm sorry, but we can't make that decision. Only the Queen, my sister, can make that decision."

"Well, send 'er 'ere so tha' she could see the damages, then!" Ivan muttered.

"It doesn't work that way," Logan said.

"'Ow does it work, then, eh?" Ivan spat. "Yeah, tha's a good boss, innit? Neglectin' it's supposed subjects?"

"Look," Ben muttered. "We'll make you a deal; give us food and a roof over our heads for the night, fight with the army - not against it, and if the Queen ever comes here, you'll notify us immediately, and we'll help you rebuild your town eventually."

"What do you mean 'eventually'?" Victor growled.

"I _mean_, that we can't prioritise this right now!" Ben growled back. "Because we have to focus on defeating whatever it was destroying your town in the first place, 'cause it will come back, and next time, it won't only wash over your city like a wave and then disappear, no, it will swallow it whole together with the whole bloody country! In a few months from now, that Darkness will reach these shores, and it will be here to stay unless we fight it. Now, do we have a deal?"

The two men looked at each other, and the Victor nodded. "Deal." They shook hands, and stood silent for a while. All four were looking out over the ocean, and the old man, Rory, had walked to the shore.

"It's not a lie, is it, Finney?" he asked.

"No, Rory," Ben sighed. "It's not a lie."

"Well then," the old man sighed and turned towards the other four. "Let's protect our country, an' fight, like true countrymen. Albion is our 'ome. If tha' thing is the Dark, we'll 'ave to be the Light."

As the old man turned his head back towards the horizon, the other four men nodded in agreement.


	19. The Hidden Pathway

**A/N: **I am SO sorry for the delay! Here's the thing; I've got a job! YAY! Sort of... I'm currently working as a substitute teacher in English and French, and so far it's going quite well. Therefore, I've had little to none time to write! But, hopefully, I can manage to be a little bit faster than I've been recently (and since I won't get as many classes as I've had so far, I will have more to write).

Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Nineteen**_  
The Hidden Pathway  
_

"As I understand, this _Darkness_ is threatening to devour this whole country?" Darius said as he poured himself a fifth cup of tea.

Andrea was still only on her second. It tasted funny; like pine and... well, forest. "Yes," she said. "Theresa, my guide, told me. And I've met the Darkness myself…"

"A gruesome encounter, I believe," Darius said, and Andrea nodded. "However, there's one thing you will need to understand; without the slightest shred of light, Darkness will devour us all." He looked at her over his oval glasses, and then he continued. "You see, if there is no light, the dark will be absolute; there will be no colours, no shapes... only darkness. But even the slightest shred of light can penetrate the thickest of darkness and prevent it from ever swallowing us whole," he sighed lightly, "hence; _you_ have to find out what your light is. Why are you fighting this war?"

Andrea clenched her jaw. What was her light? At this very moment, she couldn't find a _light_. She couldn't even find a good enough reason to fight. "I'm fighting it… because it my duty." She then decided.

A smile spread across Darius's face, a playful smile. "Your duty? Dearest, please don't tell me you're doing it only because it is your _duty_?"

"Well, I am the Queen," she said.

"Of course, your Majesty," Darius winked. "But remember this; a Queen has a kingdom, and the kingdom has people, and the people have a Queen. Hence; if there is no kingdom, there will be no people, and if there's no people, there will be no Queen."

Andrea sighed and looked away. During her short reign, she had never, not once, felt like a Queen of the people. It the beginning, it might have been for the people, but the further the revolution developed, the more she realised that it was more of a rescue action to save the kingdom from Logan's regime. The people never really saw her as the next regent, and she figured that if they had been the ones to decide, they had chosen someone of the people, someone like Ben. It stung her heart to think of Ben, but it was the truth; the people would much rather see Ben as their leader, than Andrea.

She looked up at met Darius's blue eyes. "You carry a lot of sadness, my child," he said softly.

Andrea smiled iffily and tried not to look all too worried.

"If your mother could see you know," Darius continued, "she would be proud of you. But she would be even more proud if you decided to be a Queen of the people, and save the kingdom from the Darkness."

Andrea clenched her jaw to prevent the tears that were flooding her eyes from falling. She then nodded. He was right; she had to be strong. She had to be a Hero. She looked at him. "Will you help me?"

Darius smiled, and he nodded, his eyes sparkling. "I thought you'd never ask!"

**.:*Ö*:.**

The search for the Queen continued on for the troops, and as Logan returned to Bowerstone, Ben decided to say in Bloodstone and help the villagers rebuild their village while turning the men into soldiers, teaching them how to fight properly and fair. He had always had a soft spot for the somewhat violent village.

Since Queen Andrea was nowhere to be found, they had to keep a happy face and rule the kingdom in some way, and Walter had been chosen to lead in her stead, but he wasn't alone. Aiding Walter in this were both Logan and Page, who worked very well together, considering their hostile history. That the Queen had really disappeared wasn't known to the people, and those who knew about her disappearance deliberately spread stories about great threats south of Brightwood, to which the Queen had travelled, all to keep her reputation as good as possible, and perhaps even improve it. Children started to talk about Queen Andrea's dangerous adventures in the elusive south, and they told tales of her defeating ten Balverines on her own, and her victory against the dreaded Sir Blackthorn, which was obviously a fully fictional character. The reputation of the Hero Queen started to improve, and ultimately, she had a better reputation being away from Bowerstone than she ever had being present. Everyone was talking about her heroic adventures, even though none of them really knew whether or not she had actually had them.

The financial problems did not improve, though, but the kingdom struggled on. Now that everybody knew about the oncoming Darkness, the spirit of Albion had changed. It was no longer a question of rank, or of money, but of solidarity and the will to survive. From the northern mountains to the southern settlements, the people participated in building walls around the villagers, equipping them with channels of oil, so that when the Darkness came, they could use the protection of light. Men and women all over the country had volunteered to join the army, and Saker had straightened out most of the mercenaries north of Brightwood, but there still weren't enough soldiers to protect every village of the kingdom. Now, the hope lay on the small, forming army in Bloodstone, and the return of the Hero Queen.

In Bloodstone, the reconstruction of the village was done with very little help from the capital, and by using driftwood and logs, they succeeded to rebuild most of the houses, though they now made the village looked more like Knothole Glade than the habitation of successful pirates.

Major Benjamin Finn was the head of the operation, and he didn't exactly complain about his situation; if he couldn't be with the Princess, he didn't want to be in Bowerstone at all. No, in Bloodstone, he thrived. Training the soldiers during the day, and drinking himself senseless during the night. Suited him perfectly.

Victor had been appointed Captain over the Bloodstone Unit, and he took his new position very seriously, and Ben was somewhat relieved to have such a respected person on his side; it helped keeping the thugs at bay.

The search for Andrea was far from over, though. Five months went by, five months of pain, agony and suspense. Ben went at least thrice a week to Wraithmarsh, to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found. The creatures had started to return to the dead swampland, making it harder for Ben to go alone. But every time was the same; he went as far as Deepwood, and well there, he didn't dare to proceed. It wasn't because of lack of bravery, but because of common sense; she wouldn't have gone in there. What would she do in such a remote place? There were no people in Deepwood, and if there were, they didn't give a toss about Albion or the regent. He wasn't even sure the _Darkness _would dare enter that forest. But even though his thoughts seemed fairly reasonable, there was still a part of his that was certain she was there. Where else could she have gone? To Aurora, back to the Darkness' lair? No, she wouldn't do that, would she? Thoughts like those rotated in his mind constantly, and all he could do was to return to Bloodstone each time, only to do it all again a couple of days later.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Walter was tired. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat, damn it, he could barely live! The shadows were everywhere, and he found himself being forced to close his eyes to make sure it was all in his imagination more and more often. He hadn't taken any of the medication the doctor had given him, because he knew it wouldn't suffice. He tended to more and more often withdraw from any social gathering, and he found himself more in a temper than usual.

Elliot knew what was going on, and he made sure Dr Sanders returned continuously, much to Walter's dismay. But he decided to play along and pretend to take the medicine, just to make them happy.

This particular day, five months after Andrea's disappearance, Walter was standing by the map table, gritting his teeth and trying to ignore the taunting shadow that stood behind him, calling him names, stirring his violent memories.

"_Walter,_" it wheezed. "_You are nothing… nothing… did you really think Queen Sparrow wanted you?_" Then it laughed, coldly and morbidly.

"Shut up," he growled lowly.

"_She is here_," it wheezed again. "_Here with us…_"

"Shut up!" Walter barked and swung around to face the shadow, but it was gone, replaced by a very surprised Logan. Walter sighed deeply and turned again. "I'm sorry."

"Walter," Logan said and walked to stand beside the old knight. "Walter, be honest with me." He demanded Walter's attention, and he looked at the former King. "Is it the Darkness?"

Walter couldn't answer, but looked away. He had forgotten about how quick Logan was.

Logan sighed deeply, and after a long and pressing silence, he spoke, "How long?"

"I've had nightmares ever since it happened," Walter croaked. "The shadows appeared once we were back in Bowerstone."

Logan nodded slowly. "How are you coping?"

Walter shook his head. "I don't know. Some days, I almost believe they've disappeared, but some days they won't leave me alone."

Logan shifted awkwardly. "When I went to Aurora, I… saw some things I will never forget; I went into the cave with ten men, elite soldiers, and in the end, I was the only one left. When we descended into the dark, we…" He sighed. "I regret I didn't go in there alone. They didn't deserve to die. Most of them were killed by the shadows, but three of them… I still remember how that dark mass penetrated them and ate them from the inside. When they were dead and gone, the Darkness used their bodies like puppets, and I had to fight them and kill them again, my friends, my brothers. As they fell to the ground by my blade, I watched their bodies wither away, while the Darkness laughed morbidly. I ran. I made it out alive, not because I fought valiantly, but because I was a coward."

"You weren't a coward, Logan," Walter sighed. "I wanted to run all the time, but we had nowhere to run."

"I should have killed it," Logan muttered.

"You couldn't have killed it," Walter said. "I don't remember much of what happened, but I know it grasped hold of me, and never let go."

"I thought can't imagine what you must have gone through," Logan whispered. "When I got out of the cave, I fainted, in the middle of the desert, after the Darkness had played foul tricks with my mind. Kalin and her men found me, and for that I'm forever grateful. She said a small part of the Darkness had latched on to me, but that I was lucky. After my haunting nightmares, I was sure it had taken me… so, I want even imagine how horrible the nightmares must have been for you. What do they show you?"

Walter swallowed. "Only… Darkness," he lied. The shadows showed him many things, including Queen Sparrow as she tore the flesh from her body, and Andrea as she cried out for help, but couldn't be reached. "What do they show you?"

"Mother," Logan said, and Walter could hear a wheezing breathing behind Logan. "Dead. And withering." He then sighed and leaned forwards to support himself on the map table, and as he did, Walter could see how an emaciated skeleton like creature, with yellow and greyish skin, empty eye sockets and thin, white hair stared at him. It was wearing the same dress Queen Sparrow had been wearing the day she died, and suddenly, the creature spoke, in a rasping voice, seemingly like the old Hero Queen's voice, "Walter."

He gasped and stumbled backwards, and as the creature reached out for him, with a cruel, rasping laugh, he fell to the floor, whining like a child.

"Walter!" Logan gasped and helped the old knight to stand. "Walter, are you alright?" He looked behind him, but the creature was gone. Logan turned his head back to Walter. "What did you see?"

Walter shook his head. "Nothing… I—it was nothing…"

**.:*Ö*:.**

"Try again," Loki laughed, as Andrea stood beaten, again, and she was almost boiling with frustration.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong!" she growled.

"You need to be faster," Loki explained, again, and crouched to shift into the big, black Balverine. The bizarre sight of a Balverine wearing trousers would normally make Andrea laugh, but not today, no, because today, she had tried to master the Shock spell for more than two weeks, and frankly, she was incredibly frustrated that she couldn't master it.

Andrea rolled her eyes and sighed deeply, and then when Loki charged at her, she let balls of electricity form in her palms, and when they were strong enough, she launched them towards the Balverine, but once again, she wasn't fast enough, and he succeeded to dodge them both. "Ah! I give up!" Andrea barked and sat down on the ground and crossed her arms.

Loki turned back into his human shape and laughed as he sat down next to him. Heat radiated from his bare, broad chest, and Andrea felt how blood flushed her cheeks. He had explained to her that the transformation made his body temperature rise, and that was why he always seemed to warm and feverish just when he turned back human. "Don't worry, my lady," he said. "You're getting better."

"It's been months, Loki!" Andrea whined. "I'm tired! And frustrated! Why can't I do this?"

With a light sigh, the wolfman swung his arm around her shoulder and pulled her comfortingly closer. "Don't worry, Andrea. You will get it sooner or later. You have mastered the fire spell, at least."

"Yeah, the easiest discipline of them all," she muttered.

Loki chuckled. "Don't be so negative!"

She glared at him. "Am I negative?" She raised a brow. "It's been five months, and I've only mastered the spell I know the best. I haven't even had time to learn new spells!"

"Remember what Darius said," Loki sighed. "'It takes time, but once you know how to focus your energy, it will all come to you'."

"But how long will it take?" Andrea groaned.

"As long as it takes." Darius appeared out of the woods, with his staff in his hand. "I told you; these things require patience." He walked to stand beside the other two. "Did you meditate today?"

Andrea shook her head. "I haven't had time."

"Well," Darius chuckled. "No wonder you can't focus then!" He tapped on Loki with his staff. "Would you like to start?"

Loki nodded and let his arm drop from her shoulders as he shifted and crossed his legs and let his arms rest on his knees as he straightened his back and closed his eyes.

Andrea helped the old Darius to sit down, and then she attained the same position, and closed her eyes.

"Slow winds of Avo," Loki mumbled, "mother and father of all, daughter and son of all, let us be the vessels of nature's slow but steady pulse."

The procedure was the same every time; they closed their eyes, relaxed and let their bodies be filled with new energy and motivation. It the beginning, Andrea had been very sceptical to the whole thing, but after doing it for a couple of times, the felt very comfortable sitting there, feeling the warm breezes against her skin, hearing her own, steady breath and just... exist. Had she thought about Bowerstone, and Ben, and Walter, and Logan, and everybody else? Yes. Yes, she had. Many times, and she had even thought about returning before Darius was done with her. But he had reminded her, frequently, that there is time for everything, and everything has its time. Darius was more confident than Andrea that the kingdom wasn't suffering from her absence, and she had to trust him. But when she let herself trust him completely, the weight of worry lifted from her shoulders, and even she started to believe everything would be alright.

They sat there for an hour or two, and once they were ready to go back to the village, the three of them left with calm and modest smiles on their faces. When they returned to the village, the dark had fallen, and fires were burning vigorously. June came running towards them, with Bernard by her side.

"Father!" she tweeted and skipped ahead and threw herself in Loki's arms.

"My little June bug!" he smiled and swung her around.

Andrea couldn't keep from smiling. She loved that girl so much; she was so young, and yet so clever. When Loki had let her down, she immediately clasp her small hand around Andrea's and looked up at her with a huge smile.

"Did you beat him today?" she asked, and Andrea laughed and shook her head.

"No, not today."

"You need to beat him soon!" June said and knitted her eyebrows. "He's way too self-righteous!"

Andrea laughed and met Loki's eyes. He shook his head at his daughter's comment.

"Promise me you'll beat him tomorrow?" June pleaded.

"I will try," Andrea nodded.

"Good," she smiled and let Andrea's hand go. "Come on, boy!" she said to Bernard as the two of them ran back to Agnes who was preparing dinner with some of the other tribe members.

Andrea excused herself from Loki and decided to help. Pana, a girl in Andrea's age, greeted her and handed over some potatoes for Andrea to cut. Pana had become a close friend to Andrea, and she was a handsome and modest girl, with ebony hair and glittering, amber eyes and soft, golden skin. She had told Andrea that her family descended from great Chieftains from Witchwood and Knothole Glade, but was afraid to speak too much about it.

She looked over at the tribe leader, and then at Andrea. "He likes you, you know."

Andrea looked at Pana in shock and felt how blood rushed to her cheeks. She then shook her head. "No… no, of course he doesn't!"

"Why wouldn't he?" Pana asked and shrugged. "You're pretty, you're clever and you're young. What more do men want?" She smirked and winked towards her, but Andrea couldn't stop blushing. Sure enough, there had been something developing between the tribe leader and the Queen, but Andrea had always had Ben in mind, and knew that if anything happened between her and Loki, she would never forgive herself. She glanced over at the wolfman and found him looking back at her, and she quickly returned to the potatoes.

The dinner was made rather swiftly, with vegetables and meat boiling in a big pot, and once it was done, Andrea noticed that Loki and Darius had disappeared, so she headed off to find them. And she found them, but in the shadows, discussing rather furiously with each other. She ducked behind a tree at listened.

"_You have to do something!_" Loki hissed. "_The time is running away from us, and she needs to be woken up!_"

"_I don't want to stress it_," Darius muttered.

"_Darius,_" Loki growled, "_the Darkness could be coming here! Don't you realise that? The sooner she knows the truth, the better!_"

"_It's something she will have to discover herself_," Darius said calmly.

"_It's been five months, Darius,_" Loki sighed. _"She is getting worried, and so am I. She needs to know the truth, and only you can tell her!_"

Andrea knitted her eyebrows. What truth? Was there something that she didn't know? Without caring about what the two men might think of her, she stepped out from behind the tree, with her arms crossed over her chest, clearly surprising them. "What truth?" She looked at the two of them, who both stopped in the middle of a movement. "What truth?" she demanded.

Darius glanced at Loki, and then he sighed and supported himself on his staff. "Come with me, child."

Andrea looked confusedly at the old wizard. "Where to?"

Darius nodded. "You'll see." And with that, he nodded towards Loki and walked into the forest.

Andrea hurried to follow, and as she passed Loki, she looked at him for help, but he clenched his jaw and looked onto the ground. She continued to follow the old wizard, and she was surprised by his speed, considering his age. But they walked further and further into the ancient forest, and the deeper they went, the bigger the trees grew and the bigger it seemed.

For hours, they pressed on through the forest, and Andrea had not the slightest idea of where they were heading. She was hungry, and tired, but most of all, she was curious. "Darius," she finally said, after hours of silence, and stopped. The old wizard turned to look at her. "Where are we going?"

"Patience, my dear," he said. "We're soon there. Just a bit more."

Andrea could do little else than sigh and continue, but before she knew it, she saw a clearing, and once they reached it, they stood on the edge of a mountainside, towering over a forest that stretched as far as the eye could see, with immense mountains and deep glens, waterfalls and rivers. It was a beautiful sight in the light of the setting sun, and it knocked the breath out of Andrea. "Where are we?" she breathed.

"This is the border separating the known from the unknown," Darius said as he supported himself on his staff. "Beyond this edge, no one has ever stepped foot, and if so, that person was never heard from again. This is the oldest part of all of Albion. Legend has it, that not even the Spire could destroy this untouched place of beauty back in the Old Kingdom, and thus it holds mysterious and undiscovered power."

"Will I find a way to beat the Darkness in there?" Andrea asked breathlessly.

"I don't know," Darius said and shrugged. "It could be possible. But I will not ask you to enter it."

She tore her eyes from the beautiful sight and looked at Darius. "Then why are we here?"

Darius sighed and looked out over the scenery. "This part of Albion has been here since the beginning of time. Yet, it is undiscovered. You did not know this part existed until now, and this is supposed to be _your_ kingdom." He looked at her. "But don't worry, my dear. This exists everywhere, even inside us. There is always a hidden, ancient part inside of us that takes time and perhaps a bit of luck to discover, and once it is discovered, you will never forget it."

"How can I discover it?" Andrea asked.

"Close your eyes," Darius said, and she did as told.

She felt the breezes from the mysterious forest, and heard the still, calm sound of flowing rivers, and she felt calm. Then, all of a sudden, she felt Darius hand on her forehead, and a light flashed before her eyes, and she was flung into some kind of world she did not understand.

She opened her eyes, and stood inside a luscious forest, with the sunlight beaming in through the trees. She was wearing something she couldn't quite distinguish what it was, but the fabric was soft, and light, and it was as if she wasn't wearing anything. Her feet were bare, and the green forest floor was soft and hugged her feet as she walked forwards on a path she felt like she knew from somewhere. It was as if the pathway had always been there in front of her, only hidden. She heard familiar voices further down the path, and she followed them, until she came to a circle. People were sitting in the circle, and one of them was her mother. She smiled at her, her face was filled of life, and her rich, red hair was falling gracefully over her shoulders, and a smile was spread across her face. She reached her hand out for Andrea.

"My dearest," she said, with a voice more beautiful than the ones of angels.

"Mother!" Andrea breathed and reached out to take the hand of the old Hero Queen, and as she did, her heart fluttered by the feel of her soft and warm skin.

"Andrea," Sparrow smiled as Andrea threw herself in her mother's arms and hugged her tightly.

"Mother," Andrea sobbed as she held her arms steadily around her mother. The others in the ring, smiled at the reunited mother and daughter. "Am I dead?" Andrea whispered.

Sparrow pulled her daughter away and smiled. "No, dearest, you are not."

Andrea looked around. A woman, strikingly alike her mother sat next to her, and on the other side, sat none other than Logan. Andrea didn't quite understand what was going on. There were others, too, male and female, and some of them, she thought she recognised, and some she didn't. But she recognised her mother and her brother, and, for some reason, the woman next to her mother. "Where am I?" she then asked.

"You are here," Sparrow smiled.

"Where's 'here'?"

"Inside yourself," Sparrow answered.

Andrea gasped. "Is this what Darius tried to make me find? Is this my ancient forest?"

Sparrow nodded. "We are all a part of you, Andrea. We are your family. We are the ones of the Hero Bloodline, and we are one. We are you."

"But, Logan's no Hero," Andrea said and looked at her brother.

"Logan shares your blood, just as you share mine," Sparrow said. "If he's a Hero or not is unimportant."

"So," Andrea said and bit her lip, "all of you are Heroes?"

"I told you that is unimportant," Sparrow said. "There is more to a Hero than power. We all share the same Hero Bloodline, yes, but that doesn't make us all Heroes."

"What made you a Hero then, mother?"

"The time needed a Hero, and I was ready to sacrifice myself for the good cause."

"So, you mean that whenever there is a need of a Hero, one emerges?" Andrea asked.

Sparrow nodded. "One of our bloodline."

"How come I was the one who was chosen, then, and not Logan?"

"Because that was your destiny, not Logan's," Sparrow said.

Andrea sighed. "But he would probably be a better Hero than me, anyway. I am worthless! I can't swing a sword, I can't hit with a pistol and I can't master any more than one bloody spell!"

"Andrea, my dear," Sparrow chuckled, "you are not born a Hero; you become a Hero."

"How?" Andrea was tired of riddles. She needed to know the 'truth' – whatever it was – before it was too late!

Sparrow suddenly rose, her superior length and strength showing. She took a step towards Andrea, who, by pure surprise, took a step back. "Are you ready to sacrifice yourself for the quest?"

"I—I don't—I..."

"Are you ready to sacrifice yourself and your own dreams and desires to save your people?"

"Well I—" Andrea stopped herself, and then she took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. Yes, I am." Sparrow smiled, and gestured her to turn around, which she did. In the middle of the ring was now a glowing ball of light. It hung weightlessly in the air, pulsating with such an immense attraction, Andrea had to keep herself from throwing herself at it.

"That is what you seek," Sparrow explained. "That is the power locked inside of you, and one touch from you, would unlock it."

Andrea breathed heavily as her gaze was fixed upon the glowing ball of light. Slowly, oh so slowly, she approached it, and when she started to feel the warmth and energy from it, she reached her hand out, eager but scared to touch it. One more step, that was all there was. One more step, and she would be touching it. But something stopped her from doing it. Was she really ready? Darius had said that there was time for everything, and everything had its time, so was this really the right time? The people in the circle looked at her in expectation, and Sparrow wore a proud smile. Andrea clenched her jaw. She had to do it. She had to unlock her powers, if she was ever going to defeat the Darkness.

One more step was all it took, until her hand was touching the glowing ball of light, and an immense force grabbed hold of her and made her hand stick to the scalding ball of light as strong, blinding light spread throughout the forest, with a deafening sound and such a force, Andrea disappeared into unconsciousness.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Walter lay awake, something that was rather usual lately. Shadows taunted him, and not only that, but visions of the dead Hero Queen started to appear in front of him now and then, and those were the ones he was truly afraid of. They called for him, pleaded him to help them, said that they were in a very dark place, and that he had to help them. He found it hard to ignore them when he knew he saw Queen Sparrow, but at the same time, he knew she was dead, and that it couldn't possibly be her. But the worst wasn't the teasing, really, nor the haunting of Queen Sparrow. No, the worst was the voices. Yes, the voices he heard that told him to do things. They could tell him to kill Elliot whenever he came close, and Walter would have to struggle very hard not to try to kill the boy. He had several times been ordered by the voices to jump from the roof, to kill himself, and that was the real reason Walter was afraid to sleep; he was afraid he might hurt himself or others while he was at his lowest defence. It was bad enough that more people than Logan and Elliot had started to realise something wasn't right as Walter had started to bark to what appeared to be thin air, and more than once, too. Now, he had to appear to the masses with dark circled under his eyes, and people would understand that he wasn't feeling well, and if they had a lunatic as temporary leader, then who would they trust?

He sighed and felt how tiredness washed over him, and he slowly closed his eyes.

"_You could kill them all_," a shadow wheezed right by Walter's ear. "_Tear their limbs off their puny little bodies…_"

"Yes," Walter mumbled to himself.

"_You could cut the throats of the town whores,_" the shadow wheezed. "_Make them bleed…_"

"Make them bleed," Walter mumbled.

"_Tear the legs of the little children,_" the shadow said as the voice grew darker and darker, "_and feed them to the dogs._"

"Yes," Walter mumbled.

"_They all laugh at you_," the Darkness said, "_they all point their fat fingers at you… and laugh at you._"

"They… shouldn't laugh," Walter mumbled distressingly.

"_They point finger at you_," the Darkness teased, "_laughs at you, you fat, old miserable knight_."

"No…"

"_Let me blacken you. Let me consume you. Death beats its wings for you. Be corrosive. Be pernicious. Be diseased. Be devoured…_"

"Be… be diseased… be de—NO!" Walter flung his eyes open and threw himself at his tinderbox and lighted the candle on his nightstand as he breathed rapidly. Shadows flickered in the candlelight, and sweat was forming on his forehead.

No good night's sleep for this old man awaited, no, but pain and agony as he pulled his knees to his chin and cried like a little boy in the dark, haunted room.


	20. The Awakening of a Hero

**A/N:** Alright, okay, so.. I'm SO, so sorry for the delay! I've gotten more work than I'd ever imagine, and I've been stuck writing on an original project I've recently started. But at least, I finished the chapter. I will try to be a bit faster, but I can't promise anything, so I beg you, please be patient.

Anyways, here's chapter twenty! Yay!**  
**

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Twenty  
**_The Awakening of a Hero_

_The blue waves billow against the white shores with a calming ring. The warm summer breezes brush against her skin, lightly and carefully. She opens her eyes, and the sunlight welcomes her, almost with a smile, or so it seems. She looks to her left and finds a blonde captain lying next to her, looking at her with eyes as blue as the sky. _

"_I found it," she says. _

_He smiles his crooked, charming smile. "Good." _

_She turns her head back towards the sky. "It can come now," she sighs with a smile. "I'm ready." _

_A hand closes around hers, and her brother's voice accompanies it. "I will stand by you until the end, sister."_

"_Thank you," she smiles and turns her head again, this time to see Walter lying next to her. But the man's eyes are as black as the night, and there's something not right about his face. "Walter?" _

"We are coming,_" wheezes a voice through Walter's mouth, too inhuman to belong to him. "_We will devour your kingdom._" _

_Queen Andrea of Albion narrows her eyes and rises to her feet before she turns her back on the demon in Walter's body, and walks away._

"It doesn't matter if you leave; we are inside you. Your heart, your lungs, your thoughts will all be blackened._"_

_She continues walking, now in a quicker pace, away from the demon, but as the voice rises in volume, the warming and welcoming sun is covered by darkness, and a distorted and disturbing sound is echoing all around her, her spirit begins to fade. Even the waves billowing against the shore sound threatening and hunting for flesh and blood. She turns her head in the speed._

"You're tainted. The stain will never wash out. The sun will never shine upon you again. Tainted broken little toy._" Walter rises, only, it isn't Walter. His eyes are as black as they were that time in the Darkness's lair, looking straight through her._

_She comes to a halt. "Walter?"_

"He bleeds light and fades away. You should see it. It's a beautiful sight._"_

"_You're not Walter!" she shouts. _

"You let him die. You let us take him. But you're glad, are you not? You wished him pain. You wished him undone, unthreaded, unliving._"_

"_NO!" she roars and covers her ears. _

"But you too wish for the black void. You tire of your travels, your burdens, the cries of the helpless, the cries of your dead. You too will be swallowed._"_

"_Shut up!" she growls. _

"We have waited centuries for you. You see now the future that awaits you. All those people you want to save. The people you want to control. They will shrivel as your friend has._" The body of Walter whimpers and falls to its knees with a painful cry. "Help me! Help me, Andrea!" It is the voice of Walter, and Andrea gasps. "It hurts!" _

"_Stop it! Leave him alone!" she yells, but Walter keep whimpering and crying, and eventually, it "becomes loud screams of pain and agony. "STOP IT!" _

_Finally, he stops crying, and instead, he laughs with that same, inhumane voice as before. "_Now do you realise how worthless you are? How you're earned the shadows?_"_

"_Get away from me!" Andrea screams and starts to run away from Walter's possessed body._

"You can never escape darkness. It flocks to you always._"_

_Walter screams, and Andrea feels as if her heart is about to explode. It flocks you always, it says. _

"Walter!" she screamed as she flung her eyes open and threw herself to a sitting position. Sweat was dripping from her forehead and she breathed heavily. A fire was sparkling next to her, and the sky was dark. Darius sat looking at her, rather curiously.

"Had a nasty dream, dear?" he asked.

"It has him!" she squealed. "It has Walter!"

"The Darkness?"

"Yes!" she felt tears forming in her eyes, and she quickly dried them away.

"My child," Darius said, "it was just a bad dream."

Andrea sighed and nodded while she pulled her knees to her chin. "Was my mother only a dream, too?"

"You saw your mother?" Darius asked.

Andrea nodded. "I… I found something. It—it was a—"

"No, no," Darius interrupted her. "Don't tell me. It's yours, and you shouldn't share it. It's your hidden place."

Andrea nodded.

"Now, tell me," Darius said. "Did you find what you were seeking?"

Andrea nodded. "I think so…"

"Show me."

**.:*Ö*:.**

"Alright," Ben said encouragingly and clapped his hands together as he looked at the small group of his most trusted men. "I will need a fellow man to come with me to Deepwood." He looked around, and the before so brave and fearless men were now bowing their heads, avoiding the Major's eyes, digging their feet into the dirt repeatedly, kicking away pebbles as they did. He sighed deeply. Andrea was gone, and he had been looking everywhere for her for months, save for in Deepwood. If she was still alive, she would be in Deepwood. He sighed again. "Andrea of Albion is your Queen, and our only hope. Without her, the Darkness will prevail. I won't let that happen, and I am going to find her, no matter how deep these woods are. Now, who will help me?"

"I will." Victor said and stepped forwards.

"Good man!" Ben said with a smile. "Let's pack the food we need and arm ourselves to the brim, and let's be on our way. The sooner we find her, the better."

"You just want the Queen out of her knickers!" Ivan spat, and Ben reached for his cutlass, but Victor anticipated him, and placed the blade of a dagger at Ivan's throat.

"Don't talk like that about our Queen," he growled. "Or the Major."

"Steady, man," Ben said. "I reckon Ivan only said that because he's nervous, and a bit disappointed at himself for not daring to go into Deepwood. Isn't that right, Ivan?" Ben's voice was hard, and not particularly interested in hearing an excuse.

Ivan nodded slightly. "Yes, sir."

Victor huffed before he lowered the dagger. Then he turned to Ben. "We should go so we get passed Wraithmarsh before it gets dark, sir."

Ben nodded. "Right, you are." Ben was ecstatic. Finally, after months of hesitation, he would finally find out whether or not Andrea was in Deepwood, and if she was, he would pull her into his arms and never let her go again.

The food was swiftly packed, and the two men armed themselves before they mounted the two horses brought to the village by Ben and Logan, and travelled through the darkened Wraithmarsh. They fought off a Hollow Man or two, and apart from the eerie silence, their journey through the marshes was like a holiday compared to what they expected to meet in the oldest, least discovered part of Albion.

**.:*Ö*:.**

"We have to do something," Page muttered and looked up at Logan. "He's a changed man."

He sighed as he closed his eyes. He knew Walter was in a rather weak state at the moment, but he also knew he could tell people about it; the man's reputation depended on it.

"Logan?" Page asked.

Logan nodded. "You're right. The only question is; what?"

Page clenched her jaw and started to pace the study. "I don't know." Then she sighed.

Logan nodded to himself. "I believe he just needs peace and quiet. We are going to give him that, and assure him we'll help him. If I know Walter right, he knows he's not fit to rule a country."

Page glanced at him. "I'm confused; six months ago I thought you were the worst man in the world, save from Reaver, but now… where have _you_ been for the last five years?"

Logan gave her a weak smile. "In hiding."

She, too, smiled timidly, but then tried to regain her posture and authority, and went to stand by the window.

Logan observed her; his sister truly had a way of finding loyal allies, and he had to say that he wasn't the only one who had changed during these last few months. When Page, as a young and cocky woman, started to rebel against his reign, he thought only of her as a naive, deranged girl. But as he had spent five months in her company, he had found her to be a very interesting woman. Not only did she have interesting points of views, but she was also very intelligent, something Logan valued above all in people. And he had to admit that five months of royal duty had done her well; she dressed better, she spoke better and while she before always was followed by an unpleasant smell of sewage water, she now smelled of lilies, and it became her well. A gentle smile spread across his lips, but when she suddenly turned her head towards him, he looked away, pretending to scan through some papers. He lifted his brows nonchalantly, without looking at her. "It's the Banquette tonight," he said casually. "Care to join me, so I won't be bored by all the Nobles?"

Page chuckled darkly and crossed her arms. "And you thought you'd be saved by me? Oh, I'm flattered."

"I'm not joking," Logan said and looked her in the eyes. "They may all be rich and could be important sponsors, but by Avo, are they dull?"

With an amused smirk, she walked through the room and patted his chest lightly as she passed him, saying, "don't worry, I'll save you, me being a leader and must attend and all." Then she left the room, still chuckling, and Logan found himself staring after her.

He then had to shake his head and acknowledge the infatuation he had for the girl. It wasn't a very familiar feeling to him, but he recognised it all the same.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Andrea held out her hands as she walked through the forest back towards the village. The whole night had been spent by the campfire, and she had shown Darius – and herself – what she had learnt by touching that ball of light, and as if a miracle, she could now do almost anything with her magic, and her new powers were almost overwhelming. As she walked through the forest, flowers appeared beneath her outstretched hands, and when she wanted, ice appeared, and so did fire. She had mastered the four elements, and she could now levitate things, make things grow, she could summon rain and she could summon thunder. She could let flames engulf her whole without being hurt, and she could manipulate the wind to her liking. It was glorious to be so powerful, and Darius only smiled. He had taught her a thing or two about control and what it meant, and Andrea felt as if she was a good student. New confidence grew inside of her, confidence that told her that perhaps, only perhaps, she could actually beat the Darkness and bring peace to her kingdom, and even though it was only a _perhaps_, it was more that she'd ever dared to hope for.

As they reached the village, people gasped and stared as flowers shifting to ice and then fire followed her trail. Loki had June in his arms, and both of them smiled as he walked towards Andrea and Darius.

"So you found it, then?" he said. "The secret place?"

Andrea grinned and nodded. "I did, Loki! I did!"

"She's good," Darius said and raised his brows as he rested against his staff.

"Well," Loki said and let June down and gave Andrea a warm smile, "I knew you'd do alright. And, we've prepared a feast for your success."

Andrea smiled. This was what she loved about Loki; he never patronized her, no matter what, and when she did something right, he praised her for it. And his smiles were always reassuring. His smiles always told her that everything was going to be alright.

"Right," he said as he seemed to realise he had looked at her for too long. "June, go tell the rest to light up the fires."

"Wait!" Andrea hurried to say, and as Loki knitted his brows at her, she straightened. "I can do it." And with that, she strolled proudly over to the large stacks that was supposed to burn the whole night and sent a wave of fire towards them all, lighting them at once. The villagers gasped and applauded, and Andrea grinned and took a bow. Yes, she enjoyed her new powers.

The evening was spent celebrating. The villagers also felt the hope Andrea was feeling, and they lighted a huge fire as a celebration to light. The people were eating and drinking, singing and dancing. Some transformed into their wolf-shapes, and danced a traditional dance portraying a fight. Andrea found it all utterly fascinating, and she didn't want to leave it all behind to go back to Bowerstone, even though she knew she had to. Pana sat next to her, and had been by her side the whole night, and Andrea didn't remember having such a good friend. When Pana was asked to dance by one of the men, she left Andrea's side with an apologising smile, but was swiftly replaced by Loki.

"How do you like your party, your Majesty?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "Call me that again, and I shall never speak with you again." No matter how much she tried, she couldn't suppress a smile, and Loki noticed, as always.

"Why, you Majesty, you resent being called by your title?" he asked.

"Stop it," she chuckled and nudged him on the shoulder.

He laughed to, but then he looked at her. "Walk with me?"

Andrea looked at him, but found his face unreadable. But she quickly looked away as she felt the blood rushing to her cheeks, and smiled nervously. She then nodded. "Alright." Loki stood next to her and offered her a hand, which she took, and then they walked away from the light of the fires and into the dark forest. "Where are we going?"

"Oh, you'll see," he smiled.

Andrea shook her head; why was she ever surprised? They never told her anything. But the two of them didn't go very far until they came to a clearing, and Loki gestured her to look up. As she did, it almost took her breath away; millions of starts blinked down on her, as if someone had fastened millions of diamonds in the sky to light up the dark with their bluish and white light, and she smiled. "This is beautiful."

"I thought that, now when you have to go back, you should experience this, at least once. Even the smallest of lights can penetrate the dark. Darius told me that once, and it has stayed with me for my entire life."

She looked at Loki, and as she saw his smile disappear, something shattered inside of her. She had to go back to Bowerstone, she knew that, but that also meant leaving Deepwood. Leaving Loki. She looked away and sighed, not knowing what to tell him to make him feel better. Or was she just vain to think he was sad she was leaving? Perhaps he was glad? To finally get rid of her? She sat down and observed a faintly glowing star in the distance, a dying one.

Loki sat down next to her. "I'm not going to lie, your Majesty; I've become so used to having you here, it'll be terribly empty when you leave."

She looked at him, and he looked back, and once again, she felt the blood flooding her cheeks.

"You're a remarkable woman, Andrea," he said as he eyed her face. "Your soul is the strongest and brightest I've ever come across, and that is why I know you will win. That is why I know you will penetrate the dark and come out the other side as a winner."

His eyes were transfixing, as was his fierce conviction. Andrea tried to speak, but nothing came out of her mouth, save a small gasp as the wolfman touched her face lightly with his hand and caressed it. She leaned in closer, not knowing what awaited, but there was something there, something between them. When she saw him lean closer, too, she closed he eyes and as their lips touched, his hand on her face moved to her neck, and the other settled on her lower back and he pulled her into his embrace, kissing her more hungrily, and she did not fight it. She felt his lips with hers, and they were strong, demanding yet sweet and gentle. They reminded her of warm breezes, billowing waves, sand between her toes and eyes blue as forget-me-nots sparkling so mockingly yet charmingly in the light of the sun setting over the horizon… Ben. _Ben! _She quickly pulled away with a small gasp. "I'm sorry, but I can't!"

At first, Loki seemed surprised, but then a gentle and understanding – and a bit embarrassed – smile spread across his lips, and he shook his head. "Of course. Benjamin Finn… how could I be so thoughtless?"

Andrea clenched her jaw. An uneasy feeling was spreading in her stomach. She wanted nothing but to disappear and never come back. She was so embarrassed and felt so bad for what she had done, to both Ben _and_ Loki. "I'm so sorry, Loki," she whispered.

He chuckled and put his arm around her shoulders. "Don't be. I should be the one to apologise, your Majesty." They were both silent for a minute or two. "You love him, don't you?" Loki finally asked and looked at her.

She nodded. "At least, that's what I think… however, I don't know how he feels. Last time I talked to him, he told me I was nothing but a spoiled little brat."

He huffed. "A brat? You? If he knew how lucky his is, holding the affection of such a wonderful, young woman…"

She smiled timidly. "Perhaps it's for the best; we're not going to be together." She sighed. "I'm engaged."

Loki raised his eyebrows and smirked. "So the plot thickens; not only are you wanted by three men – and more, I'm sure – but you are in love with one and engaged to another!"

"Yes," she sighed. "The never-ending drama surrounding a Queen… will I ever be rid of it?"

He shook his head. "Probably not." Then he sighed and rose and extended a hand for the Queen. "We should head back."

Andrea nodded. "Yes." She took his hand, and together they walked the short way back. The villagers were still dancing and drinking and laughing and eating, as if Andrea and Loki never left. they sat down where they started out, and watched as June played around with Bernard. "You have a beautiful daughter, Loki."

He smiled. "Yes. If there's anything I'm proud of in life, it's her."

"Where's her mother?"

His smile died. "I'm afraid she's not with us anymore."

Andrea nodded. "I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"She was killed by hunters from Bloodstone," Loki said. "We had leant that a man had been infected by a Balverine in Wraithmarsh, and as we always do, we went to retrieve him to offer him a better life. Lea, June's mother, went together with her brother Lee, and Wes. However, once they reached the man, they were not alone. Five hunters cornered them, and opened fire. They used silver bullets, and hit Lea right between the eyes. She died instantly."

Andrea stared at him, horrified. "I am… I'm mortified! What did you do?"

Without looking back at her, he said, calmly and decisively, "I killed them. I went hunting for them, and took them out, one by one."

Andrea nodded and swallowed. "Good."

He looked at her with knitted eyebrows, but Andrea pretended like she didn't noticed.

"What would you have done?" he asked.

"Probably the same th—"

"Intruders!" a voice suddenly shouted, and the entire village came to a halt. From the dark forest, a man came running, a Watcher. "Intruders in the forest!"

Loki's eyes changed, and at once, he looked even more wolf-like than he did as a Balverine. He stood up and scanned the area. "Let's spread out," he said, his voice carrying over the villagers. "Kay, Don, Pana; you take the northern flank. Brutus, Sean, Lee; you take the southern. Wes and I attack from the front."

"I'll come with you," Andrea said and stood.

"No, Andrea, it's too—"

"Don't you dare say it's too dangerous!" she growled and glared at him.

He looked at her for a while before he nodded. "Okay. You come with us, then."

Andrea nodded, and confident enough that she didn't need her weapons, she went without them. As the other's transformed into Balverines, Andrea hurried to run after them, keeping the winds in her favour, and after roaming the woods for five months, she felt as if she knew them like her own pockets. She was almost flying past the trees, over stones and logs, and Bernard was right ahead, as always. There was a thrill inside of her, as if the old days had returned, when she and Walter travelled through the woods, and she was expecting to see the old knight behind her any time soon. Only thing was, Walter wasn't there. A heaviness landed on her shoulders as she ran, and she suddenly remembered why she was flying through the woods. _Intruders_, the Watcher had said. _Intruders in the forest_. He didn't say what kind of intruder; human, troll, Hobbe… it could be the Darkness for all Andrea knew. But she kept running. She trusted her newfound powers to be enough, and suddenly, she saw the big, black Balverine that was Loki, and she slowed down. The wolves had two hooded men surrounded, and the two men was standing, back to back, one with a sword drawn and one with a rifle. They knew they were outnumbered, Andrea could see that. At first sight, they didn't look like bandits or malicious men. If anything, they looked like two men on the run. Andrea made a rash decision and stepped into the circle of Balverines. She signalled the wolf men to wait, and she approached the two men. Both of them seemed surprised to see a human step forth. In fact, the two men seemed so surprised, they both lowered their weapons and stood staring at her, even though she couldn't see their eyes. "Show yourselves," she demanded.

One of the two men seemed to hesitate and looked at the other, but the other one stood staring firmly at Andrea. He then brought his hand to his hood and let it fall from his head.

Time stood still, and for a moment, it seemed as if Andrea couldn't hear. The only thing occupying her ears were the sounds of her heart beating as her eyes met a pair of eyes, blue as forget-me-nots. Her knees weakened, and tears started to pour from her eyes, and within seconds, she was in his arms again, pressing her lips against his. His arms tightened protectively around her, and she wished they would never let her go again. So long ago. It was so long ago she enjoyed the softness yet determinedness of the lips of Benjamin Finn, and now, he was there, holding here, kissing her, as if he'd never been gone. When they broke the kiss, and she looked into his blue eyes, something broke inside of her, something that had kept her strong all these months, and she burst into tears and buried her face in his chest, and he tightened his grip around her.

"It's alright, Princess," he murmured against her hair. "It's alright."

"My Lady?" Loki had transformed, and had taken a few steps closer.

Andrea tore herself from Ben's safe embrace and turned while drying her eyes. "It's Ben," she croaked out, barely hearable. "It's Ben!" This time, her voice carried a bit further, and it was clearly enough for Loki for hear, and for a second, Andrea saw something strange flash in his eyes. Was it joy? Recognition? Jealousy? But then he smiled, that gentle smile only Loki could master, and approached the three in the middle. He stopped at a safe distance and bowed.

"Major Finn," he said. "It's an honour to meet you."

"Andrea?" Ben muttered under his breath. "Who is this… wolfman?"

"Ben, this is Loki, the leader of the Ch'cja tribe," Andrea said. "Loki, this is Major Benjamin Finn." She looked at the blonde man. "They have been taken care of me while I've been here."

"So, they didn't abduct you?" he asked.

Andrea laughed. "No, they didn't abduct me."

"And you, sir?" Loki demanded the other man. "Who are you?"

"I'm Captain Victor Grey of the Bloodstone Unit," the man said defensively and took his hood off.

"Bloodstone Unit?" Andrea looked at Ben.

"Yes," Ben said. "Well… a lot has happened since you've been away."

"Why don't we head back to the village, where you can enlighten me?" Andrea smiled, and then looked at Loki. "It's no problem, is it?"

"If these two gentlemen are friends of the Queen, they're friends of the Ch'cja tribe," he said and bowed. The remaining seven Balverines transformed, and the whole party turned to head back towards the village.

"Oh," Ben suddenly said. "There are two horses roaming the outskirts of the woods…"

Andrea turned to Wes and Sean that walked next to her. "Would the two of you fetch them, please?"

The two men bowed. "Yes, my lady," they said simultaneously and headed off into the woods.

Andrea kept close to Ben, and he had grabbed hold of her hand, and didn't seem to ever want to let it go again.

"I've been looking for you," he murmured to her as they walked.

There was a stab in Andrea's heart as the words reached her ears. "You have?"

Ben nodded. "I thought I'd lost you."

Andrea squeezed her hand tighter around his, and he answered the same way. "You never lost me."

"Who are these people?"

"They are the Ch'cja tribe," Andrea answered. "Closed in the forests of Deepwood, tending to the poor souls bitten by Balverines." She looked at him. "Ben, I don't think I've ever met such nice people in my entire life, so please, be nice."

"Princess, I'm offended!" Ben smirked. "I'm always nice!" Then they were both silent for a while. "That Loki," Ben continued. "He's a good looking fellow, don't you think?"

Andrea chuckled. "Well, yes. Rugged yet sophisticated, fierce yet gentle. Everything a woman wants."

"Mhm…" Ben nodded. "And, if I wasn't mistaken, his eyes remind me of someone I know very well… I just don't—oh, yes! They remind me of the ones I meet when I look into a mirror!"

"Benjamin Finn," Andrea gasped, "are you jealous?" She then chuckled again.

"Me, jealous?" Ben huffed. "Never! That word doesn't exist in my dictionary."

Andrea nudged him lightly. "I've really missed you."

"I've missed you too," Ben said.

"So, you don't think I'm a spoiled little brat any longer?" she muttered.

"Well," he said, "if I'm not mistaken, Your Majesty has turned eighteen, and is no longer a child."

Andrea gasped. That was right! She had forgotten about her own birthday! "I—that—how could I forget about that?"

"I bet a lot has been going on in your head," Ben said.

Andrea sighed. "I'm useless. So, the Bloodstone Unit?"

"Well," Ben started. "The day you disappeared, your brother and I went on the search for you, and once we reached Bloodstone, it was a mess." He told her about the Darkness' assault on Bloodstone, and how Logan had returned home to help Walter, and how Ben had stayed behind to help the people of Bloodstone to rebuild their city. He told her of the new army and of the many months of training and of searching for her. All while he talked, she kept silent, nodding on occasions, feeling a bit ashamed by the devotion her people still felt for her, and where had she been? Hiding away in the deepest of woods, with her tail between her legs. No, she didn't deserve her people. She didn't deserve the Kingdom of Albion.

He kept talking all the way back to the village where the introduction of the two newcomers was swiftly done, and when the potential danger was out of the way, the festivities continued. Victor seemed to be a man in good spirit, and he came along just fine with the tribe members, and the fact that they were the very beast he had been fighting for his entire life, didn't really seem to bother him. It was harder for Ben to accept the fact that these were, as he called them, "good doggies". Bernard seemed happy to meet his old friend, and Darius even made the effort of introducing himself to the Major and the Captain.

Andrea and Ben then retired to somewhere quiet where they could be alone and just hold each other and talk, like those days in Aurora, when they could talk about everything and nothing, all at the same time. Andrea told him all about her stay in Deepwood, about her meeting with her mother in that dream, about her nightmare about Walter, about how she touched that ball of light, and suddenly, she had powers she couldn't even dream of. She told him about her friends, about Pana and June, and about the tragic story of June's mother Lea. At the same time, she told him about the many nightmares she'd had about him, and how he shot her, in every dream, and that she was truly heartbroken when he left her that night in the castle. Ben sincerely apologised, and told her that he'd regretted that ever since it escaped his mouth..

"But everything will be fine now," he murmured as he hid his face in her hair. "Now that I've got you again."

She turned to face him, and leaned her forehead against his. "I've really, really missed you, Ben."

"Princess," Ben purred, "I've realised over these past five months, that I simply can't be without you. I love you."

Andrea pulled back. "What?"

Ben pulled back to, as if he just realised what he just said. "I—I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that!" He sighed and shook his head. "I just… it's been so long since I've last seen you, and last time didn't end so well, did it? I guess I was just—"

"Do you mean it?" She stared at him.

Ben seemed dumbstruck. But then he took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. Yes, I did. I love you, Andrea."

She didn't know what to say. Thousands of thoughts ran wild in her head, and she couldn't determine which to listen to. Did he just say—no… no, he couldn't have. Could he?

But, being Ben and all, he immediately noticed her confusion and discomfort, and chuckled. "So, the Queen of Albion, friends with a wolf tribe in the middle of Deepwood… who would have thought?"

To this, Andrea had to laugh. "I know, I know!"

"So, are you ready to leave your new friends and go home?" he asked and nudged her side.

"Yes," she sighed and nodded. Then she smiled. "Yes, I'm ready."


	21. A Queen Returns

**A/N: **Right! Once again, sorry for the delay! At the moment, I'm at my friend's house about 1000 kilometres away from my home, and she's playing StarCraft with her brother.. (yaaaay -_-') so, I found a perfect opportunity to finish the chapter! (Who knows, maybe I'll have time to finish the next chapter before she's done? ._.)**  
**

Anyway, here's chapter 21!

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Twenty-One  
**_A Queen Returns_

A falcon had arrived that morning, carrying news of the Queen's return. The castle had been set in a frenzy, and the servants were running amok, tidying up and planning for the Queen's arrival in the Imperial City. The citizens were planning a welcoming feast for their Queen, and despite the hardship that waited the Kingdom of Albion, the people of the capital were momentarily happy.

Logan stood leaning against the railings on the upper balcony, staring out towards the ocean, tears gleaming in his eyes, wanting to see nothing but white sails on the horizon, bringing his beloved sister, and the land's salvation. The treasury was far from filled, despite the deposits the Nobles had made. Even some of the citizens around the kingdom had started to send some of their wages every month to show their support, and still, it wasn't even close to enough to pay for weapons and armours. Walter was getting worse, and had turned to screaming at nights, and thus Logan had trouble sleeping, and it started to show more than ever. He felt as if the world lay heavier on his shoulders now than it ever had while he was King. The only thing that made the darkness look just a bit brighter was the fact that Page was there by his side, and with her stern will and determination she had lifted the city and kept the faith of the people. Even though Andrea had done things before she disappeared that Page didn't approve of, she didn't hold any grudge and seemed to understand why the Queen had made the decisions she had made.

Still, Logan couldn't be happier that his sister was finally coming home.

Steps hit the ground behind him, and he could feel the sweet smell of lilies filled his nostrils, and he sighed heavily. "There are no words in the world sufficient to describe the feelings I hold," he said softly.

Page put a hand on his. "We've always known she was alive."

He shook his head and turned to her. "But where has she _been_?"

"I don't know."

"She's been gone five months!" He started to almost panic. "I—I—what am I supposed to do? Is she expecting something from me? Am I supposed to do something special? Am I—"

Page chuckled and put her hands on either side of his face and looked into his eyes. "You have done enough, Logan. You have done more than expected. Who would have thought you'd run the country better when you're not in charge?" The kiss wasn't fully unexpected, they had danced around each other for a while now, and as her full lips separated from his, he sighed and held her one hand in place on his face, caressing it carefully, as the tears in his eyes started to fall.

"Don't leave me, Page," he pleaded. "Don't leave my side."

She smiled. "I'll be here."

**.:*Ö*:.**

Saying goodbye to the Ch'cja tribe was probably one of the hardest things Andrea had ever done. Loki was strong, as always, and wished her good luck, and despite objections from Ben, Andrea hugged the wolfman again, and lingered, and before the hug had become too intimate, Ben had made sure to separate the two. June cried and clung to Andrea's neck as if it would be the last time they ever saw each other, and Andrea had decided it was not. Pana stayed strong, even though tears were building in her eyes. Andrea had asked her to come to Bowerstone to be her lady-in-waiting when the Darkness was defeated, and Pana had happily accepted, though that would have to wait. But of all goodbyes, it was Darius Andrea felt it hardest to separate from. But he smiled and told her that they would see each other sooner than they'd expected. Andrea believed him. And just before they said their final goodbyes, he handed over a small leather pouch to her.

"Give this to Walter when you get back," he had told her. "Dreams are never to be taken lightly."

Andrea promised to do as told, without questioning what the pouch contained.

When it was time to leave the forest of Deepwood, the Queen couldn't hold back the tears, and she promised herself and the forest never to spoil it. It would forever hold a special place in her heart, as would its people.

The ride back to Bloodstone had been longer than she'd expected, and when they reached Wraithmarsh, they continued on the Queen's demand, even though darkness had fallen, and even though both Ben and Victor objected. While Andrea was carried by horseback all the way, Ben and Victor took turns on the other horse, with Bernard walking between the horses. Andrea kept a fire running alongside them all the way through Wraithmarsh, keeping away creatures of the night and bringing them safely back to Bloodstone, where the Queen was welcomed with food, drink and warm fires. But already, Andrea missed her friends in Deepwood.

That night, Andrea didn't sleep. The festivities ended when she went to bed, even though she had expected them to continue until late morning, and as she left the assembly hall, she heard Victor shout commands to the thugs and pirates turned soldiers, and to her surprise, their response to orders were rather positive. Ben had offered himself to accompany her to bed, very innocently and purely for the company, but Andrea had graciously turned him down, saying she needed time to think and to mentally prepare herself for meeting her people back in Bowerstone. So as she lay in her bed, with Bernard at her feet, she couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts ran through her head. She thought of Page, of how angry she must be at her, and she thought of Walter, of how disappointed he must be. She thought of Logan, of how worried he must be, and she thought of the people, of how confused they must be. But most of all, she thought of Ben. And of Elliot. Ben had told her he loved her. She had heard it, loud and clear, though she didn't know whether or not she wanted to. She was engaged to Elliot, with every intention of marrying him, because frankly, Ben was right. She couldn't do this alone. But did she love Elliot? No, she did not. She loved Ben. But he didn't want to marry her. He thought it would ruin her to be with him, so instead, in change of them having a relationship this year before the Darkness, Andrea was to marry Elliot, and secure the people's love and affection, and retain her good reputation as Queen. But could she really live in a lie? Or more importantly, could she live with the thought that Ben might find someone else than her? Could she live with the thought that some other woman might be the one in Ben's arms? The longer she thought of it, the more impossible it seemed, and eventually, she couldn't stand herself, and she rose from her bed and snuck out, without waking the dog, into the dark of the night. She snuck past the night guards, and towards Ben's hut, where she carefully opened the door and tip-toed to his bed. He was sleeping deeply, and she nudged him lightly. "Ben?"

He didn't move.

"Ben?" She nudged him a bit harder.

"What?" he cried and sat up.

"It's just me," Andrea squealed.

Ben relaxed. "Princess," he yawned. "What's the matter? Something wrong?"

Andrea could keep it in, and burst into tears. "Just hold me, Ben!"

Without hesitation, he reached his arms out and pulled her into his safe embrace and pulled the covers over them both and cradled her while her salty tears fell down her cheeks.

"I love you," she sobbed against his chest.

"I love you too," he murmured into her hair.

For a long time, none of them spoke, and Andrea was afraid he had fallen asleep again, since his breathing was so calm and constant, but as she had stopped sobbing, his soft voice broke the silence, "Are you afraid of what will happen when we get back? Of what will happen when the Darkness comes?"

Andrea shook her head.

"Then what's wrong, lovely?"

"I'm afraid of what will happen _after_ the Darkness has come," she whispered.

He shifted awkwardly by her side and then rose and to support himself on his elbow. "What do you mean?"

Andrea shook her head. "Let's say we defeat the Darkness… then what?"

Ben shrugged. "Then we get on with our lives."

She looked at him, and even through the darkness, his blue eyes illuminated his face, and made her heart ache. "A life without you?"

He sighed and closed his eyes as he fell back on the mattress beside her. "Andrea, don't."

"But how can you—"

"I said, don't!" Ben growled and sat up.

Andrea sat up, too, now more angry than upset. "You said you loved me! Was that a lie?"

"No, but—"

"But what?" Andrea spat.

"_But_, you're marrying Elliot!" Ben said and rose from the bed. "We had a deal, Andrea!"

"I can't marry Elliot, you dimwit!" she cried. "I want _you_!"

"That can never happen," he muttered and put his hands on his hips.

Andrea rose, too, far too upset to care if anyone would hear her. "You… _you_! You are a scumbag, Benjamin Finn! Here I am, _giving_ my heart to you, and you… you…" She tried to find the right words, but couldn't seem to get over how angry she was at him. "Did you really think that you could just flex your muscles a bit, and… and _use _me like this? I am the _Queen of Albion_, god damn it!"

"And there she is," Ben said through gritted teeth, "the spoiled little girl who thinks she owns the world."

Andrea stood speechless. So, they were back to where they left off before she disappeared. So nothing had really changed, then? He still thought of her as a spoiled brat. Perhaps she should have stayed in Deepwood, with Loki, and just forgotten all about Albion and the Darkness, and Ben!

"Did you really think you could go through life, getting exactly everything you want, just because you happen to be _royalty_?" Ben spat.

Andrea growled as she strode towards the door, but Ben grabbed her by the hand.

"We're not finished," he growled.

"Let go!" Andrea growled and let fire engulf her hand, as well as Ben's, and he pulled it away with a painful groan.

"Are you _insane_?"

But Andrea left the hut before she did something worse, and marched back to her own quarters, ignoring the guard asking his ladyship if everything was alright. Bernard woke up as she slammed the door shut, but Andrea didn't care, and threw herself angrily onto her bed and jerked the cover over her. Oh, she would definitely not sleep after this.

**.:*Ö*:.**

"She's coming back," Walter whispered to himself, and a tear of relief rolled from his sleepless eyes and landed on the floor by his feet. He couldn't fully understand how happy he was that finally, after all these months, she was coming back! Finally, hope had arrived.

But not everybody agreed.

"_The Dark Guardian shall come and protect us_," the shadow behind him wheezed. "_All that is flesh and light shall die!_"

"SHUT UP!" Walter roared at the top of his lungs, and took a swing towards the shadow, but it was already gone. But the fading sound of its laughter still echoed around him, and he had to cover his ears and curl up like a baby on the bed while sobbing like a child. "Please, Andrea," he whispered. "Please, relieve me from my misery!" He closed his eyes, but the second he did so, horrible images of him murdering his little Andrea played across his vision, and he flung them open. "Stop it!" he begged, voice breaking. "STOP IT!"

But it was too late. He had invited the Children to play, and they were now attacking him with images, impulses and memories he did not want, and as he was once again faced by his beloved Sparrow, dead and weathering, and no matter how many times he closed and reopened his eyes, she was still there, he screamed.

She grabbed him, clawed him with her bony fingers, and wheezed in a most unnatural way as her decomposed face distorted into something from the darkest of nightmares, and her hollow eyes burned through his soul like a hot iron through wax, and he screamed even louder.

There was a banging noise, and several shadows started to attack him, and pull him, and tug at him, and he screamed, and he yelled, and he trashed his arms around. He could hear people shout his name, and he thought he recognised their voices, but _she_ was still there, and reached for his throat.

"Tranquilise him!" he could hear someone shout, and out of nowhere, there was a sharp pain in his leg, and slowly, but oh-so-involuntarily, he felt himself slip away, and the Darkness engulfed him once again.

**.:*Ö*:.**

There was a loud knock on Logan's door, and despite the late hour, he wasn't asleep. So, he opened the door and was faced by a very worried Elliot. "Is everything alright?"

"You'd better come quick!" Elliot's voice was shaking, and Logan furrowed his brows. "It's Walter."

Logan nodded. "Where is he?"

Elliot motioned Logan to follow him, and together, they rushed through the dark corridors, and the closer they got to the part of the castle where Walter had his chambers, the more servants stood gathered by doorways in their nightgowns, whispering frantically to each other, falling silent when Elliot and Logan walked passed them.

Logan didn't care. He was too worried to even bother to tell them to go back to their rooms. Finally, they reached Walter's room, and as they opened it, Logan was almost expecting, and dreading, to walk into his mother's sickroom, but they didn't. Instead, they walked into a brightly lit room, where Walter lay sleeping in the bed, and Dr Sanders was sitting by the desk, making notes and holding a stern eye on Walter.

"What's happened?" Logan demanded.

Dr Sanders sighed and rose. "Sire, his screaming was so bad, we had to put him down."

Logan clenched his jaw. It was getting much worse. Much, much worse. Flash-backs of his mother's days of illness played before his eyes, and he had to take a step back. Never in his entire life, did he imagine he would ever have to go through that again, yet here he was. He nodded. "What of the light?"

"I believe it will soothe him once he wakes up," the doctor explained.

"What is your verdict?"

"I still believe we're dealing with battle-associated stress reactions here," Dr Sanders said, "however, I've never encountered it _this_ bad." He then shifted awkwardly and looked at Logan, and then at Elliot, and then back at Logan.

"What's the matter?" Logan asked.

Dr Sanders cleared his throat. "Sire, there… there may have been a…" he glanced at Elliot and then back at Logan "…similar case, quite some time ago."

Logan clenched his jaw and nodded. Then he looked at Elliot. "Please, would you inform Page that Walter is unwell and may not be able to participate in the meeting tomorrow?"

Elliot glanced and the doctor, then Walter, and then he nodded. "Yes, sir."

When Logan was alone with the doctor, and a sleeping Walter, he sighed deeply and glared at the doctor. "What do you know?"

Dr Sanders fixed his spectacles and cleared his throat. Sweat was forming on his forehead. "Well, I—I know this is a sensitive topic, sir, but I was referring to your mother, the late Hero Queen."

Logan nodded and rolled his eyes. "Yes, I assumed that. What do you know of it?"

"I was an apprentice at the time, for Dr Baker," Dr Sanders explained. "I was never allowed to observe him while he was working on your mother, however, in the strictest confidence, he told me about the case after her departure. When Dr Baker himself passed, and I took over for him, I read through his notes on the case, and I… according to his descriptions, I can't imagine how horrible it must have been." He searched through his papers and took out an old notebook. "After several observations of Sir Walter, I have found patterns, alarmingly alike Queen Sparrow's strange illness."

Logan sighed. "I can say, with a hundred percent certainty, that he has the same thing."

"Is it contagious?" Dr Sanders asked lowly. "Should we put him in quarantine?"

Logan shook his head. "That won't be necessary, doctor." Then he sighed and headed for the door, beaten down and with a heavy heart. "Let's just make his remaining days worth living." He left the room and headed back to his own. Images of his mother still played before his eyes, but he forced himself to only think of the time before the illness, and in the end, a smile cracked through his miserable face.

**.:*Ö*:.**

The smell of the sea, and the warm breezes were welcomed by Andrea as she stood at the bow of the ship. The only thing that bothered her was her fight with Ben the night before. She regretted getting so upset, because she knew they had an agreement. She was engaged to Elliot, and she was to marry him. That was the deal. It wasn't fair of her to scold Ben the way she did, but done was done. Now, the only thing stopping her from apologising was her pride. Ben also seemed to have that problem, because no matter how much she blamed herself, he had done mistakes, too, and she wouldn't have it any other way. It wasn't completely her fault. But he hadn't spoken to her all morning, except on formal occasions in front of other people, addressing her as "Your Majesty" and bowing politely. Andrea had been too stubborn to ask for a private conversation, and left it that way. Now, she regretted it. They would arrive in Bowerstone later that night, and she would hate it if they stepped ashore enemies. But still, she did not want to take the first step. As always in doubt, she sighed and hummed the only song she remembered from her mother. The lyrics were only vaguely remembered, but she knew the first verse. "'_Down by the reeds, down by the reeds—_"

"Swim the Sirens of Oakvale, out to the seas," Ben finished in speaking as he joined her by the bow.

"Do you believe they still exists?" Andrea asked. "Sirens?"

"Of course they do," Ben said. "I've seen them. Though, it's been a long time since they were anywhere near the shores of Albion, I reckon."

"I would like to see one someday."

"Well, they're not that nice, I must warn you."

Andrea clenched her jaw.

"Lunch is served, if that suits you, your Majesty," he then said and bowed.

"Ben, wait!" Andrea groaned as he turned to walk away.

He turned back to her. "Yes, your Majesty?"

She furrowed her brows. "Please, Ben, let's not be quarrelling any longer! I'm… I'm sorry for my outburst last night, and… you hand. I was just… tired and disappointed."

Ben clenched his jaw and avoided her eyes.

She stepped closer and lowered her voice, so that the ship crew would overhear. "But… we need to talk about this. We need to talk about what to do!"

He shot a stern look at her. "We know what to do."

She didn't quite understand his reasons. Was there something he didn't tell her? "So… it's settled, then? You want me to marry Elliot?"

He gave her a long, unreadable look, before he sighed deeply and leaned over the railings. "Of course I don't want you to marry him, but we had a deal."

"Oh, forget about the _deal_!" Andrea cried, perhaps a bit louder than intended. She huffed and took another step closer. "This is ridiculous! I love you, and you love me, so let's make it count!"

"Princess, it's not that simple!" Ben hissed and looked at her. "Tell me, honestly; do you _not_ intend to marry Elliot?"

"Yes, I do," she said. "If you don't want me."

This time, it was his turn to huff. "Of course I want you! I just… I just don't want to marry you." A strange silence fell between them after that statement.

Andrea shifted awkwardly. What did he mean by that?

Ben sighed uncomfortably. "Look, had you been another girl – _any _other girl – I would marry you in a heartbeat. By Avo, I would kill every last man who dared to challenge me on that! But…" He sighed again. "I don't want to be King. And I _don't want_ to be King more than I want _you_."

"If you truly loved me, you wouldn't care if marrying me also meant becoming King," she muttered.

His face hardened. "Then you don't know me very well."

Suddenly, there was a tear in the bond they had weaved together. Something had broken between them.

Andrea nodded, though her heart was breaking. "Perhaps I don't know you at all."

There was sorrow in Ben's face, but he hid it well by a veil of nonchalance, and he nodded and muttered "Your Majesty", before he left her.

_-0-_

_Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think ab—oh, you're thinking about it! Don't think about it. Don't think about it! _Those were the only thoughts that had rushed through Andrea's head the whole day, and when the Bowerstone skyline was shown on the horizon, she felt relief, but also dread. Perhaps, perhaps she should just forget about Benjamin Finn and focus entirely on the oncoming Darkness and on rebuilding her relationship with Elliot. After all, he was to be her husband, and to be honest, it wasn't that bad. Elliot was a good man, a kind man, and even though he did not possess the same… roguish qualities as Ben, he was an honest man, and she knew he'd make a good King. Perhaps it was for the best.

As the ship slowly sailed into the harbour, Andrea was surprised to find so many people welcoming her with cheers and gifts and love. She had expected them to loathe her, since she disappeared when they needed her most, but apparently, her being gone had been a positive thing. At least, they seemed to love her more now than ever before.

For the first time since their dispute, Ben walked up to her. "Are you ready?"

Trying to disguise her nervousness, Andrea straightened her back and ignored his question. Instead, she walked past him and down towards the bridge deck where she now could see the familiar faces of her brother, Page, Elliot and Reaver, and Tara and her children in the front of the crowd. But no Walter. To inquire for him was her first obligation, according to herself, but the only answer she received was a significant look from Logan which said that now was not the time. Trying to hide her sad defeat, she nodded and looked out over the masses of people. They probably expected her to say something, but she didn't know what to say. Ben had told her how they all thought she was out fighting evil, and so, to make them still believe in her, she raised her voice, "My people! I have returned to you after battling evil creatures in the deep south, and I am now prepared to strengthen and ready this Kingdom for our ultimate challenge. Are you with me?"

A roar of cheers and applauds was heard throughout the crowd, and Andrea sighed in relief. They were still with her.

After politely and gracefully shaking hands with people in the front, she then made her way back to the castle, escorted by Ben and his men, with Elliot by her side, and Logan, Page and Reaver behind her. She held on to Elliot's arm and wished she never fell for Ben and still loved Elliot with all her heart. But she couldn't really look at him the same way any longer.

_Don't think about it. _That phrase would be her only way to keep track of her emotions, she knew. But she kept a straight face and walked towards the castle together with the party and let the people have their celebrations on the streets.

She was immediately taken to her chambers by her maids to be prepared to meet the masses and join the celebrations.

"Where's Sir Walter?" she ordered, and at once, her maids fell silent, and they all avoided her eyes. She glared at them. "Where's Walter?"

"Your Grace—" one of them started, but Andrea was getting impatient.

"Where's _Walter_?"

"He's in his chambers, Milady!" the maid hurried to say and curtsied. "He's feelin' unwell!"

"Thank you," she said and left the maids to hurry thought the halls. Outside his room, a guard was placed, and he shifted awkwardly when the Queen was closing in.

"I'm afraid you can't enter here, Your Grace," he said nervously.

"Step aside," she ordered softly, though she wanted to shout at him.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace, but I have orders—"

"_Step aside_!" There was something strange about the way they were all acting, and the way Logan had given her that specific look earlier. The guard reluctantly stepped aside, and Andrea made her way into the room. A familiar smell of staleness and sweat faced her, and she had to take a step back. Walter was lying in his bed, breathing heavily, probably asleep, and a man with round spectacles looked at her with widened eyes.

"Your Majesty," he breathed. "I—I didn't think—" He hurried to stand up, and knocked some paper to the floor in the process. "I didn't think you'd come yet!"

"How is he?" she cried as she carefully walked towards the bed.

"He's stable for now, but I've had to put him down a couple of times," the doctor said. "He's getting worse."

"He said he was fine," she muttered, mostly to herself. "He—he said he was _fine_!" Why wouldn't he have told her about her nightmares? After everything the two of them had been through? She felt deceived, she felt betrayed, but most of all, she felt robbed. Robbed of a chance of trying to help him, robbed of his chance of trying to save him. Then she remembered the small leather pouch Darius had given her, and she quickly pulled it from her belt and handed it over to the doctor. "A friend gave this to me. He thought it might help."

The doctor took the leather pouch in his hands and opened it, and once he saw what was inside, he gasped loudly. "H-how did you find this?"

"It was given to me by a sorcerer in Deepwood," Andrea said. "Why, what is it?"

"This is Meandoc root," the doctor breathed, without taking his eyes off the content of the bag. "It's… it's a very, _very_, rare medicine I thought was long gone… This—this root can even cure certain _death_! It's almost as if it's magical!"

"You think it will help him?" she asked.

He looked at her. "If this doesn't help him, nothing will."

**.:*Ö*:.**

He had to keep a good and friendly exterior, even though he wanted to smash that brow-haired little boy in the face. There he was, _bragging_ about his soon-to-be wife, that was _supposed _to be _Ben's _soon-to-be wife, and telling the entire bloody party how blessed he felt and how lucky he was to possess the heart of such an amiable young woman. Ben wanted to laugh him in the face and ask him, in front of everyone else, if he had had the young Queen yet, if he had made a _woman_ out of her yet, but he kept the scornful comments to himself. Instead, he amused himself by telling an audience of pretty young ladies of his adventures in the feared Bloodstone, and in the legendary Deepwood, even though he wanted nothing but to hold Andrea until the sun towered over the mountains again, but that would never happen. It wasn't Elliot who possessed her heart; it was Ben. But he had messed things up, like he always did, and was now the biggest pig in all of Albion. So, he would spend the rest of the evening drinking himself unnecessarily drunk, and sleep in a ditch somewhere in Industrial. There he would lie, until someone would find him, or perhaps beat him up for no reason, or perhaps throw him into the sea, which would be a good solution, according to Ben himself. He didn't deserve to die honourable. Not after what he'd said and done to Andrea.

And so he did. He drank himself unnecessarily drunk and wondered off into Industrial with a bottle of whiskey in his one hand and with his pistol in the other, where the celebration still were in its midst. He cheered at some men playing lutes and flutes and fiddlers in the street, and fired some shots into the air, and he tried to dance, too, but found it hard to keep his balance. He staggered away towards the docks, singing loudly and shouting obscenities that made the women cover the ears of the children still being out of their beds.

What the drunken Ben didn't realise was that he had company, and it wasn't until a forceful hand shoved him down onto a seat, he reacted. "Page!" he said. "How nice to see you here, sweetheart!" He threw his arm around her shoulders, but she pushed it away. Had she become stronger while he was away, or was he just weaker?

"You're pissed," she muttered.

"That… was a very acru—accurent—accurate observation my dark-skinned friend!" Ben said and took another sip of his whiskey.

Page quickly removed the gun from his hand. "Ben, what's the matter?"

"Matter?" Ben repeated. "Nothing's the matter! Nothing matters! What's the matter with _you_?"

Page sighed. "I've never seen you like this."

"You've never seen me like anything," he said and leaned towards her, but once again, he found it hard to keep balance and almost fell onto her, if she hadn't pushed him back.

"Ben, do you even know where we are?"

"Of course!" he said and sat up straight. Or, at least he thought it was straight. It felt straight. "We're in the mist! Deep, _deep_ into the mist, and on the other side lies… the treasure!"

Page rolled her eyes. "Ben, we're at the docks. You were heading towards the edge."

"That's what I said!" Ben cried.

"No, it wasn't," Page said.

"Why doesn't she want me?" Ben then spat. "I mean, she wants me, but why won't she understand when I say that I don't want her? I mean, I want her, but I don't want her life! I want her in _my_ life, but I don't want me in _her_ life! Why is that so hard to understand? And why is she choosing _Elliot _over someone like—"

Page hushed him. "Don't talk. You're not making sense."

"I am making perfect sense!" Ben protested. "My head is ringing clear, and my words are thinking straight!"

"Right," Page said. "Let's get you back to town."

"I'm making sense!"

"Of course you are!"

"I don't want to leave!"

Page sighed. "Fine. We'll stay here. But don't jump into the water."

"No," he promised. "I won't." He sighed deeply, feeling how the alcohol ran its course through his body, and he also felt how he more and more started to lean against Page, but he couldn't do anything about it, because he was unable to support himself, and after ten minutes, or so, he couldn't even keep his eyes open, and he swiftly fell asleep, blissfully unaware of the headache that would most certainly follow.


	22. The Day the Darkness Came

**A/N:** Hello my dear readers! This is your author speaking! **I know there has been a certain confusion about the whole Elliot-as-King-thing, and I felt as if I needed to explain myself a bit;**I know that it is not the custom for a man who marries a Queen (Crown Princess) to become a King; I am from Sweden, we are a Monarchy. But in my humble opinion, if any woman could become Queen, the highest status a woman can have in a monarchy, then a man should have the same opportunity. Otherwise, it's sexist. Now, some of you might think that Albion is a bit sexist, but I say no. I have long considered Fable to be a very equal game (since they introduced female protagonists) and I will keep my opinion of that and keep it equal. However, there must be a difference, of course, since one of them is the Regent. That difference, in My Albion, is the following title "of Albion". So, Andrea would then be Queen Andrea of Albion whereas Elliot only would be King Elliot. Had it been the other way round, and Elliot had been royally born, he would be King Elliot of Albion and Andrea then would be Queen Andrea.

It may not make sense to some of you, or if you disagree, I'd be happy to take that discussion with you ;)

**Now, please!** Enjoy the 22nd chapter! I know it's taken a long time to finish it, but now, it's done, and hopefully, this can satisfy you until I finish the next chapter..

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Two  
**_The Day the Darkness Came_

A light. There was a light searching its way through the darkness, and Walter could see it. He reached for it. Welcomed it, and slowly, slowly, it took hold of him and embraced him softly. The shadows had been forced aside, and finally, for the first time in months, he could breathe again.

**.:*Ö*:.**

It was the fourth day Walter had been given the Meandoc root, and Andrea was sitting by his bedside, holding his hand. He had had fever spikes, but Dr Sanders had said that it probably was the body pushing out the illness. Andrea didn't know whether or not to believe that, since Walter didn't have an ordinary illness, but he seemed to get better. The screaming had stopped, and when he was awake, he didn't see shadows all around him. He had cried when he'd first opened his eyes and seen Andrea by his side, and after that, she had promised to be there every time he woke up.

On the fifth day, Walter was up and about, beginning to look much like his old self, but even though he was given the Meandoc root, he sometimes said he could see the horrid pictures in his head and needed to sit down for a while.

Andrea tried her best to aid him, but she knew she had a lot to do. On the morning of the sixth day, Andrea was sitting by Walter's side, waiting for him to wake up, when there suddenly was a tumult in the corridor outside.

"_Out of my way, you dim-witted, bloody, pompous guards!_" a voice barked. "_Let me in! Don't make me call for _the Queen_, because you know she will give me right on this!_"

Andrea recognised the voice, but she couldn't believe it. After so many months of searching, she was surprised he wasn't dead.

Suddenly the doors burst open, and in wobbled none other than Jasper, her loyal butler, with his otherwise so neatly laid white hair now tossed and tugged, and with his black velvet coat and white satin gloves dirty and twisted on his body. He looked well, though, as if he'd been staying with someone of great hospitality, but had been travelling rather roughly just recently. But his eyes were wild, as if he hadn't seen anything but wilderness for months on end. When he saw the young Queen, his face cracked into a big smile, and then he straightened and tried to fix his hair and clothes the best he could. Then he cleared his throat and bowed elegantly. "Jasper here, Your Majesty, at your service."

Andrea couldn't hold back the tears. "Oh, Jasper!" She ran straight into his arms, as she always did as a child, and he chuckled.

"There, there, my child," he said and comfortingly patted her back. "Who would have thought? The young Andrea – Queen of Albion?!"

Andrea looked at him and smirked. "What? You didn't believe in me?"

"Of course, child, I've always believed in you," he said nonchalantly. "But it's worth mentioning! Oh goodness, what's happened to Walter?"

Andrea clenched her jaw. "The Darkness has him. Just like it had my mother. But he is getting better."

Jasper looked at her with horror in his eyes. He remembered it too. Who would forget?

"We've given him Meandoc root, and it seems to make him a bit better," she reassured him.

"Where in Avo's name did you get Meandoc root?" Jasper asked and took a seat on Dr Sander's chair, who was currently in town to see another patient.

Andrea sat down on the bedside again and shrugged. "A wizard in Deepwood gave it to me."

There was a pause in which Jasper looked intensely at Andrea, as if waiting for a continuation. But when there was none, he shook his head. "Now, now, Andrea, you know you can't say something like that and just stop! Tell me all about it!"

And she did. She told him about her entire journey, about the different people she'd met and about the different dangers she'd faced. She told him about the shipwreck and what had happened to Walter in the cavern. She told him about the journey home, about the seizing of the throne and about Logan's trial. She found it pleasing to hear Jasper thinking she made a wise choice to spare him. She then told him about her escape and about Deepwood, about Darius and Loki, and of the journey back home. All she didn't tell him about, was her and Ben, really.

"That sounds very interesting, and exciting, Andrea," he said. "But what about you and Master Elliot, then? Is the boy alive?"

She had to smile. If she didn't, Jasper would immediately understand something wasn't quite right. "Yes," she said. "He's alive and well, and we are getting married after we've defeated the Darkness."

"That's wonderful news, my dear, wonderful news," he smiled softly. "To think you'd still love him, after all your adventures! That's amiable. Not every woman would be so consistent after experiencing what you've experienced."

Andrea nodded, a bit ashamed of herself, really, for fooling so many people, including herself. "You're right. But… that's me!" Then she eyed the old man. "What happened to you?" The question had been nagging her ever since she came back to Bowerstone to be Queen, and now, when he finally was here, she could get some answers. "I had my men out looking for you."

He laughed. "Out looking for me? Oh, my dear, I can promise you, that where I was, no one would find me! At first I planned on going to my relatives in Oakfield, and I thought of going by coach. But then I figured that if I was to go by coach, the coachman would suspect something. Why would a royal butler escape in the middle of the night? So, I went by foot. But as I got to Rookridge, I went straight into some bandit war, or something like that. I was fortunate enough to bring one of Walter's firearms, and got a hit or two, and it was well enough to be respected. I have to say, Andrea, some of those bandits aren't half bad. One of them, called Otis, was a really nice fellow, I must say! He was so kind as to let me accompany him all the way to Oakfield. However, once I got there, I learnt to know that my only living relative had moved to the Western Cities, for love, so I figured, while you were out on your adventure, I could go on my own!"

"So, you've been in the Western Cities?"

"Well, not exactly," Jasper said. "You see, I never got to the Western Cities. Otis was telling me how much he detested his life here in Albion, so I suggested that he come with me! Poor boy, he hadn't a mother nor a father, and had been raised by filthy bandits! I simply couldn't let the young man suffer like that! You know me! So, well, I had gotten myself a companion. But, as I told you, we never got to the Western Cities, because, well, we were shipwrecked, I'm afraid. Caught in very bad weather. But we made it through and ended up, and I promise, I am not making this up – in the Northern Wastes! _The Northern Wastes, _Andrea! I thought that didn't exist anymore!"

Andrea only sat gaping at her old butler. It somehow amazed her – and frightened her – that Jasper, her old, fancy, posh butler had been out on such adventures. "What—how—where did you go once you were there?"

"Otis and I walked for many days in the cold, and we met creatures I've never even heard of, Andrea! I don't even know how to begin to describe what they were like! Oh well, once we had walked so far we thought we wouldn't make it, two men in fur clothes saved us and took us to a settlement."

"What about Snowspire Village?" Andrea asked.

"I'm afraid Snowspire is long gone," Jasper sighed. "I asked about the Oracle, but no one dared to enter the abandoned city."

"What about Scythe?"

"No one knows," Jasper said. "There are no recordings of his death nor his whereabouts." He then sighed. "I'm afraid it's a civilization lost to the world."

Then, the room was filled with a groan and a cough. Walter had woken up. He yawned and sat up. "Jasper?" His voice was a bit hoarse and cracked at the "a", and his eyes were bloodshot. But other than that, he seemed perfectly well. "Is it—is it really you?"

Jasper nodded with an enthusiastic smile. "Yes, my man! It is I!"

Andrea quickly removed herself from the bed to let the two friends embrace each other and laugh and chat away. She knew Walter could very well use Jasper's cheerfulness, so she slowly slid out of the room and left them to their catching up.

She headed down the corridor with a smile on her face. In this dark time, that light was very much needed. It was just like Darius had said, that without the slightest shred of light, darkness would devour them all. She had that silly smile smacked across her face and was very absent-minded as she rounded a corner and suddenly went straight into someone. "Oh, I am very sorry, sir!" she hurried to say, but when she looked up, she faced none other than the Major, and her cheeks quickly deepened in colour, and her heart ached, as it did every time she saw the blonde soldier.

"Your Majesty," he said and bowed.

"Major Finn," she said and curtsied. There was an awkward silence for a while between them. Nothing had been quite the same since their argument back on the ship, and there were a lot of unsaid things hovering between the two of them. They had scarcely spoken two words to each other during the past week, and any meeting they had had, had been strictly professional. This was rather uncomfortable for both of them. Andrea had took look away when his blue gaze became too much, and she quickly curtsied again. "Do forgive me, Major, I have some important matters to attend to."

Ben sighed. "Please, Andrea, can we at least call skip the formalities? We're still friends, aren't we?"

She looked up at him. Still friends? _Friends_… her heart broke again, just when she thought her heart wasn't whole enough to be broken. Yes, a lot of things were unsaid between them, and yes, there had been a tear in the strong bond they had once had, but she still loved him. She still loved him so much, her chest tightened every time his name was mentioned, and her heart ached to the point where she thought she might die each time she saw him, let alone spoke to him. But she forced a smile on her face, though a very small one. "Yes, of course, but I really do need to go. The Nobles won't wait forever." She then curtsied again and hurried away from him, before he could see the tears falling down her face.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Ben's heart raced, and he breathed rapidly. He had had a very rough week, with a lot of drunken nights and a lot of heavy mornings, but this had been the hardest. He had met Andrea during the week, but never like this. Never this exposed nor this vulnerable. He had been chewing on the concept of _friendship_ for a long time, but never seemed at ease with what it would mean. It would mean seeing her, spending time with her, speaking with her, laughing with her, and all without having her as his. As her _friend_, he would have to say good night to her in the evenings without sharing her bed, and as her _friend_, he would have to endure seeing her with Elliot. It was more than he could bear, and he had considered going back to Bloodstone, to the men he now could call his, but the words just slipped out of his mouth as he panicked when he realised she was going to leave the moment they had met today. _We're still friends, aren't we? _How stupid of him. How incredibly idiotic of him. Now, he couldn't leave. What _friend_ would do that? Besides, he doubted it would be accepted if he was to leave. So now he was stuck and forced to watch how the love of his life was comforted in the arms of another man. But he had only himself to blame. Had he not been so afraid of facing his fears and become a ruler, she would have been his, and he would have been hers. He would have the most beautiful woman in the world in _his_ bed, and wouldn't have to stand watching her with others. But as it was, that would never happen, now that they were only… _friends._

**.:*Ö*:.**

With Jasper back, taking care of Walter became much easier, and Andrea had finally time to take care of important matters. The treasury was still far from as full as they needed, and Hobson had given her plenty of things to do. Kalin had given word of an ancient relic in the Auroran desert called the Desert Star, worth up to seven hundred thousand pieces of gold, which Hobson was going mad over. Andrea was then sent back to Aurora, and back to her days as an adventurer. She did feel a bit worried about leaving Walter, but knowing that Jasper was with him, was a great comfort.

So she went back to Aurora, and even though she felt a certain resistance to leave Bowerstone behind, she also felt a relief. She didn't have to have those awkward meetings with Ben on a regular basis, and she didn't have to secretly watch him every now and again, aching for him. She also didn't have to spend so much time with Elliot, talking about that bloody wedding, which always made her queasy. No, now she could push away any thought of men and focus entirely on her task. Bernard was with her, as always, and she hadn't felt this free in a long time. But, of course, when her mind was cleared of any thoughts of Ben or Elliot, Loki popped to mind. It wasn't because she wanted to think about him, no, it was because the last time she felt this free, was with him. It happened several times, and when she wasn't thinking of him, Ben popped to mind, or Elliot. It was impossible to keep them out. She fetched the Star, after a lot of hard work, and had to return to Bowerstone, but thankfully, she didn't have to stay for long before she was to go to Silverpines to fight a White Balverine and bring back a statue worth five hundred thousand pieces of gold. Well back in Bowerstone, Andrea couldn't wait to get back out. Chasing ancient artefacts and filling the treasury gave her a sense of purpose and made her feel helpful in a way she hadn't done before. But there were no other artefacts to fetch, so Andrea turned to working. Spending time amongst her people made both her and them happier, and more and more people started to donate a bit of their wages to the treasury, while she donate all of her earnings. The Nobles donated more and more money to the treasury, and some even donated their entire fortune for the good of the kingdom. The strong solidarity brought tears to the Queen's eyes.

The army was growing, though not fast enough. But it was growing, from the northern mountains to the southern woods. While being in the city, Andrea was sometimes passed by a group of soldiers that jogged about the city, lead by a captain, and sometimes, even the Major himself. Whenever _that_ happened, Andrea quickly looked away and tried to suppress the great lump that formed in her throat. She missed him terribly.

Back at the castle, she mostly spent her evenings discussing the wedding with Elliot, even though she did not want to. But it made him content. He was very old fashioned in every sense and wanted the ceremony to take place in a Temple of Light, and he did not want to share bed with her until they were married. Andrea did not object. Quite the opposite, because she was relieved.

But a wedding date had been set, and a wedding dress had been made, but whenever she saw it, the tears built up in her eyes. One night, just a month before the attack, all the talk about "when we defeat the Darkness" and "we'll be so happy" just became too much, and Andrea escaped it all and headed down to Industrial.

At the Riveter's Rest, she found Page and her brother, who had grown very fond of each other, and was asked to sit down with them.

"You look a bit down, sister," Logan established. It was evident he had had a bit too much to drink.

Andrea shook her head. "It's nothing."

Logan sighed and leaned towards her. "I know the threat of the Darkness is heavy, Avo knows we feel it too, but we cannot despair! We will prevail!" He swung his arms around, and his voice cracked.

Page shook her head. "Andrea, even though it sounds stupid, he's right. Thanks to you and your devotion to raise the money we need, we're nearly there!"

Andrea groaned. "We're far from there! It's one month left, and we're one million gold pieces short!"

"But it's far more than we ever dared to think of!" Page reminded her.

It was true. They hadn't even thought they'd raise half as much, but it still wasn't enough. She sighed.

"How's the wedding plans going?" Page asked.

It may not have been the perfect moment for her to spill her despair considering the wedding, but she had to talk to someone about it, and these two were the ideal people. She told them about everything besides Ben, and that she didn't know what she felt about Elliot. "Mother must be turning in her grave at this very moment."

"Nonsense!" Logan huffed. "Because you're having second thoughts? Bah! No, that's human, Andrea, and no matter what you are, you're human! If anything, mother will be proud of you!"

"I don't—" But Andrea was cut short by the tavern door opening, and by the blonde man standing in the doorway. He looked quite shocked as their eyes met, and Andrea was certainly too shocked to look away. It wasn't until he seemed to decide to stay and headed towards the bar that Andrea could tear her eyes from him. "I have to go."

"No, Andrea," Logan suddenly said and grabbed her arm. He had also noticed the Major's presence. "I believe there are things that you and Major Finn need to discuss."

Andrea stared at him. Did her own brother vouch for such a scoundrel like Ben? She knew they had buried their axes, but she didn't think Logan would ever be on Ben's side. But she nodded.

Page nudged Logan on his arm. "I think this is our cue."

Andrea would rather have them by her side, but she knew she would have to face him alone, sooner or later. She needed closure. She needed to know if what they had was gone forever, or if it was still there. Even though it didn't take long for Ben to get his ale and sit down in front of her, it seemed like the longest time ever, and once he finally sat there, none of them spoke. He took sips from his ale, and Andrea drew circles on the ground with her finger.

Finally, his voice cut through the silence like a knife. "How are you?"

She looked up. "I'm… fine. And you?"

"I better now," he said. "Now when I talking to you."

Andrea sighed, heart heavy. "Ben—"

"You have no idea how much I have missed you, Andrea!" he said lowly and leaned forwards. "Not a day goes by without me… cursing myself for being so _stupid_! But I _did_ warn you. I _told _you that I would hurt you. I told you I couldn't do this."

"Ben, you don't have to blame yourself," Andrea whispered. "We both have made mistakes."

"But I have made the biggest," he said. "And now I'm afraid it's too late."

Andrea stared at him. What was he telling her? That he regretted what he had said?

He looked down into his cup of ale. "In a month, when we've slapped the Darkness silly… you'll be married. You'll be married, and I will keep my side of the bargain and won't look at you ever again."

Andrea could feel the tears filling her eyes, and she didn't care if they spilled over. There weren't many inside the tavern tonight, and those few who were there, didn't eavesdrop on the Queen and the Major, out of respect. "So… this is the end, then?"

"We both knew it was going to end, one way or another," Ben said. "This way is as good as any."

Andrea nodded slowly. "As good as any…"

**.:*Ö*:.**

He loved her. He loved her so much, and now, it was all too late. He watched her as she sat there in front of him, crying. Her tears were the most beautiful yet horrible thing in the world, and her emerald eyes sparkled in the candlelight. "Do you hate me?"

"How could I hate you?" she sobbed.

"I broke your heart," he said. "_I_ hate me."

She shook her head. "You shouldn't hate yourself, Ben. You're a wonderful person."

He then leaned forwards. He couldn't take another minute sitting there without touching her. He placed a hand over one of hers, and she gasped. "When you're married to Elliot, promise me you won't think of me a be sad."

She seemed to try to talk, but nothing escaped her mouth. Slowly, she nodded, and Ben's chest tightened.

He clenched his jaw and quickly let her go before drinking the last of his ale. "Good night, Your Majesty." He then hurried out of the tavern, before he would do something he would regret. It was torture, being so close to her and yet so far away, and more too, because it was only a month left until the Darkness's attack, and the whole kingdom was on edge. All he wanted to do was to kiss her, just one last time, in case it all went down the pipe drain. But that was too late now.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Her meeting with Ben had not been the closure she had hoped for. It had not made things easier. It was the other way around; it had made things worse. Even though they had sort of agreed that it was over, she had seen in his eyes that he regretted it. Or she had just imagined it, but she hoped she was right. If it was true, then he would live in heartache, just as she did.

The coming month was all about preparations, and the general mood was low. People had started to realise this might not end well, and families were gathered and the streets were emptied. It was a dark month. Probably one of the darkest in the history of Albion, as if the Darkness had already arrived. The newly recruited soldiers realised they were fighting something darker than their worst nightmares, and a lot of them seemed to break by the stress. Andrea tried to keep the mood up by motivating them and making them believe they would prevail, but it did not work. It wasn't that the people didn't listen to her, she just knew they weren't convinced by her. Though they all politely applauded her whenever she made a public speech, and cheered and seemed rather convinced, the Queen knew they weren't. She could see it in their eyes as they scattered, and she could hear it through the few conversations she heard on the streets. They believed this would be the end of them.

But the closeness of the attack was evident in more than one way. Even though the Meandoc root was working its magic, Walter was getting worse. He didn't have to be in bed any longer, but all that he said, and all that he did proved that the Darkness had a strong hold of him, as if the Shadows inside of him rejoiced and gained strength by the fact that the day was approaching. Andrea was getting worried. She needed Walter on the battlefield.

The night before the day of the attack, many were gathered at the Cock in the Crown, but no one said a word. They just drank their ale, looking at each other. But forgiveness for previous bickering and wrong-doing, and reconnection between lost friends hung heavily in the air. Tears were shed and many just held each other. Andrea was there together with Page and Elliot. Logan stayed behind to calm Walter after a violent hallucination.

Andrea, Elliot and Page sat by a table and accepted good luck wishes and blessings, and after a while, even Ben dared to join them. But all the unsaid things between him and Andrea were forgotten, because tonight might be the last time they would ever get to sit next to each other like this.

"Ben," Andrea pleaded silently after a while. "Would you like to say something? I know they listen to you."

He looked at her and held his gaze on her for a long time before he nodded and slowly rose, holding his ale in his one hand. "Brave people – soldiers! – of Albion," he started, his voice in a normal volume. That was all it took, before he had the people's full attention. "I'm not going to give you a long speech about how strong we are, and how we will win just by believing in the power of light." His tone was heavy, yet filled with courage. "Yes, we might die tomorrow. This might be our last night together. We might be wiped off the surface of this world within a heartbeat first thing tomorrow morning. I don't know. What I do know is this; if we die tomorrow, we will die with pride. We will die, giving that foul thing a fight it'll never forget! We will fight until we cannot fight anymore. We will roar until our lungs aren't capable of roaring anymore. We will swing our swords, for our mothers, our brothers, our sisters and our fathers. We will swing our swords for our children and our unborn ones. We will fight for the lives we have, have had or might have had if this Darkness had not invaded us. We will fight with honour, and we will die like Heroes! We will fight like men and women of Albion, a strong, proud people, defending a strong, proud kingdom! We are the Heroes of our age! History books around the world will write about us! Children will talk about our courage! Ladies and gentlemen; if I die tomorrow, it will be a great comfort for me to know I will die amongst the bravest of people. If I die tomorrow, I will die knowing we did everything we could to stand our ground and save our kingdom. We will fight until our last breath, and we will fight until there is no more fight left in our bodies or souls! We will prove, that even the _Darkness_ can bleed! Tomorrow, we fight for light, and for what is right! Tomorrow, we fight for Albion!"

A deafening roar was spreading through the tavern as people cheered at the Major, all with tears in their eyes. Andrea looked up at Ben with admiration and love, and tears. She had never possessed the same ability as him to motivate people, even though he said that they would all die. But with his words, death didn't seem so bad.

In the cheers and roars, Ben stepped onto a chair and raised his pint. "_For Albion_!"

"_For Albion_!" The unison changed the mood entirely, and music started to flow through the tavern, and people started to dance. This might be their last night alive, and no one was going to let that one last chance go to waste.

Andrea joined in to sing an old Albian battle song, and even she was filled with courage just by uttering the words. Considering what awaited them all, she was content. She had done what she could, and all she could do now was to wait. She trusted her people, and her powers, and if they ever had a chance to win, it wouldn't be better than this.

In the middle of the commotion inside the Cock in the Crown, the Queen noticed the Major's absence. He had left after his speech, and in a second, Andrea did not feel as content as she just had a second ago. She excused herself from Page and Elliot and headed out the door. She didn't know where he had gone to, but she would find him. She knew she would, even if she would have to search through the whole of Bowerstone. But she did find him, in his own quarters in Old Town, where he sat in his kitchen, drinking a bottle of rum all by himself, with candlelight as his only company. Andrea peeped in through the window, and when she had gathered enough courage, she carefully opened the front door and stepped inside. She wasn't surprised he'd left it unlocked; who would break into the Major's quarters at a time like this? She came to a halt by the kitchen opening, and his blue eyes eyed her in surprise.

"Andrea?" his voice cracked, and even though his speech weren't slurry, she could tell he wasn't entirely sober. He stood up. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with the others?"

There were so many things she wanted to say to him. So many things she had wanted to say to him for a very long time, but didn't dare to. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him and how much she wished it wouldn't have to end it way it did. She wished she could tell him how much he meant to her and how much he had helped her on her way. She wanted to tell him that all that was on her mind, every minute of every day, was him, but all she could say, in a very hoarse whisper, was, "lie with me tonight, one last time?"

He didn't answer it, at least not with words. They made love that night, sweetly and passionately. It was the closure she had been craving and it was the closure necessary to move on, for the both of them. When morning arose, they kissed each other for the last time before Andrea had to leave. They both cried. Not because this might have been the last time they would ever touch each other like that, but because it might be the last time they would ever see each other in the eye.

"I love you," he whispered in hear ear, and made the hair stand at the back of her neck.

"I love you, too," she whispered back, before she hurried away. This was no time for tears, and if she stayed for one more second, there would be plenty. She would have to be strong.

Well back at the castle, armour had been prepared for her, in secret, and she was so touched by its beauty, she was speechless. The silver chainmail was sent to her from none other than Darius of Deepwood, and was lighter than a feather, softer than silk, but tougher than a dragon's skin. Over it, hung shards and skirts of green silk, and on her chest plate was the Royal Seal of Albion. She was prepared, and she felt stronger than ever. Together with the chainmail, Darius had sent her a pair of gauntlets that enhanced her magic, and a letter in which he wished her all luck in the world and promised to protect everything south of Brightwood. It was a promise that was a blessing to Andrea, and after having word from Bloodstone, Brightwall, Oakfield and Aurora that they were all ready, the Queen had a feeling it might all end well, after all.

When prepared, she headed towards the war-room. She was delighted, and relieved, to see Walter suited up for the battle, and even though she could hint the shadows under his eyes, he seemed almost glowing of the lust to win this. He wasn't alone around the map table. Ben was there, as well, together with Logan and Page, and they all bowed as she entered the room.

"What's the status?" she demanded.

"The troops are ready," Ben said. "As for now, we don't know which flank will get hit first, but Aurora is in the line of fire."

"We're all in the line of fire, Major," Andrea said. "But we do know that Bowerstone won't be the first."

"Most likely," Ben said and leaned in to the table. "I have spread our troops around the city, and many are guarding the city walls."

Andrea leaned in, too. "I suggest we move the troops from the southern flank to the western. It's more likely the Darkness will try to surround us from the sea and the northern areas. Darius won't be easy to break through, and it will take the easiest way to spread the furthest it can."

Ben nodded.

"Do we need a plan of retreat?" Page asked.

"There will be no retreat," Andrea said. "Either we win, or we die."

Ben straightened. "It sounds to me like we're ready."

The others nodded in concurrence.

Andrea straightened and walked up to a window. She glanced over the city, over the horizon and beyond it. It might be the last time she did so. But she was ready to die. She was ready to fight until her last breath. She then sighed slowly and turned her head to the others and nodded. "We're ready." She then looked back out the window. "This is the day the Darkness comes… so let it come."


	23. Sleep, Protector of Albion

**A/N: **It's closing in to the end. There aren't that many chapters left, my dear readers. This chapter turned out to be a bit heavier than I intended it to be, but perhaps it's necessary. And without further due, here's chapter 23. I hope you will like it!**  
**

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Three  
**_Sleep, Protector of Albion_

"Your Majesty, it's here!" The soldier didn't even bother knocking. His hat was tilting, and his face was drained from blood. He was terrified.

Walter could be heard mumbling, "The Darkness has reached Bowerstone."

After the soldier came a superior.

Andrea turned from the window after a long while in silence. "What's the status?"

"The attack had barely begun, madam, but already we have suffered terrible casualties," said the superior.

"We simply weren't ready," Walter sighed. But then he seemed to collect himself, and he straightened. "If we don't act quickly, there may not be a kingdom left to defend by dawn!"

"We have to get out on the streets!" Ben urged. "_Now_!"

Andrea walked from the window to join her fellow allies, and she looked at Walter. "Are you sure you can handle this?"

He gave her a look she was well familiar with. "Don't underestimate me, Andrea. It will take more than a mere _illness_ to take me down!" There was a glint in his eye that told her he would do just fine. He then drew his sword. "Today, we fight for Albion!"

The rest of the group also drew their swords and roared, "For Albion!"

Last time that phrase was used as frequently as now was in Aurora, right before the storming of the castle, and had they known that phrase was going to be literal in a short year, I think they would all have used it differently.

Together with the castle guard, Andrea sprinted out towards the streets, with Walter, Ben, Page and Logan by her side, her furry friend in front of her and with the elite forces behind her. It was mayhem. People lay dead on the streets, and houses were burning or already destroyed. Everywhere, there were Shadows, terrifying people and slaughtered bodies. In a tenth of a second, Andrea's heart stopped, and she was afraid. But she had to get over it. She had to realise that people were going to die, and that when all this was over and done with, if they won, the loss might be so great and the victory came with a too heavy a price, there might have been honour in choosing defeat. But as Ben had said; if they were to die today, they would give the Darkness a fight it would never forget. She inhaled deeply, raised her sword, and roared at the top of her lungs, "_CHARGE_!"

"Defend the city with your lives!" Walter's voice boomed across the blood filled streets, and the troops behind them sprinted straight into death without the slightest hesitation.

The battle was hard, not only because the Shadows were swarming, but because by ever third step, or so, they would have to step over another dead body. Andrea let her magic flow, and truly put Darius's gauntlets to the test. But they were sublime, and allowed her to focus the magic in an entirely different way than before. The armour was easy to move in, and did its job well and protected her with all its might. She couldn't help but to wonder, in the midst of the fight, what kind of magic the armour possessed.

She stayed close to Walter, and the others weren't far off. Walter was fighting like old times, as if the Darkness never invaded him, but Andrea suspected he also fought because these were his demons. He could fight them now, for real, and didn't spare one single strike of force as he raved about the enemy troops. Suddenly, a cruel and terrifying laugh was heard, and he stopped.

"It's here," he gasped, his eyes wide open in fear. "It's here!"

The Darkness growled fiercely, and even Andrea was frightened by it, but Walter fought more valiantly than anyone else. Ben commented the fight to himself with such ease, Andrea wondered if he might be convinced that they would die in the fight. He sounded so fearless without one care in the world, as if he'd let his entire world go.

The Darkness kept growling and laughing, again and again, and it caused Ben to growl in annoyance, "does that thing ever _shut up_?"

Andrea let out another wave of fire and hurried along the darkened streets. She had made it to the Town Square, but it was filled with Shadows and these metal creatures that creaked and clanked as they moved, and Andrea started to panic. She had no idea they would face something like this.

"Balls!" Walter roared. "We have to find it! We have to save our people!"

Suddenly, the disembodied voice from the cave returned, raving and furious, and Andrea froze for a second. "_The lightbringers have come. But this is the Kingdom of Unlight now. This is the Kingdom of Death!_"

"I can't take that voice anymore!" Ben shouted from somewhere, followed by a loud shot, and Andrea gasped, afraid for a moment there that Ben had gone mad and shot himself, but as she saw him through the chaos, she immediately exhaled.

"Don't listen to it!" Walter yelled, his voice breaking. "It will drive you insane. Don't listen!"

"_Death beats its wings for you._"

"Show yourself!" Andrea suddenly shouted as she shattered another of those metal creatures. And then, deep into an ally, she saw it, the horrible creature with three pair of eyes, and that small, crippled body with those spindly legs. But then, it disappeared again. Andrea didn't want to waste any time and sprinted after it, and she could hear Walter follow. But where the creature had disappeared, Page was sitting, reading a book.

"Page!" Walter gasped.

Andrea ran towards her, to ask her if she'd seen it, and to ask what in Skorm's name she was doing, reading a book now, but as she approached her, Page wasn't Page at all, but a Shadow. But then flames devoured it, and the Shadow disappeared. They then continued along the ally while the disembodied voice laughed at them.

"This isn't real…" Walter mused to himself. "This isn't real…"

Well out of the ally, Shadows and metal creatures were waiting. Ben met them from another ally, and he stopped, wide-eyed.

"This is a nightmare, right?" he said. "Someone please tell me this is just a nightmare!" But he quickly got himself together and rushed straight into the fight.

Andrea fought with both her magic and her sword, but it still wasn't enough, and her armour got a giant blow or two, and once or twice, she was shoved to the ground by the metal creatures with their razor sharp arms. But she jumped to her feet again, and dove into the battle. The Darkness laughed all around them, and every time it did, another wave of Shadows surrounded them.

"Leave us alone!" Walter pleaded, but the Shadows and the metal creatures just kept coming.

"We have to find that bastard and kill it!" Ben growled, then he motioned towards Andrea. "How come we don't get armour like this?!"

"Now is not the time, Ben!" Andrea shouted and continued hunting the creature down.

A dark mass surrounded them, and closed out Walter and Ben from Andrea.

"I can barely see!" Walter shouted. "Where are they?"

"_Dead fingers talk, dead fingers whisper, dead fingers claw at one million eyes_."

A window exploded and out of it came crows, flying dangerously low, and in the window, Andrea could see herself, but as she was a year ago. The next window exploded too, and there, she could see herself when she was in Aurora. A third window exploded, and then, she could see herself as she was now. Then, a fourth window exploded, and there, when the crows had flown away, she could see herself, as a skeleton, hanging in shackles.

"_You have done such hurtful things. The people you know shall rejoice in your death._"

Her heart was in her throat, as Andrea breathed heavily and continued running. She tried to shake the images off, but it was hard. She didn't even know if Ben and Walter were alive behind the wall of darkness. But she kept running forwards. The Darkness had pin-pointed her, so it wouldn't stop until she was dead. Everywhere she ran, windows and barrels and stone pillars exploded as she passed them, and more metal creatures appeared out of nowhere and attacked her. She had some trouble fighting them off on her own, but then she saw Walter and Ben come running after her, and when the three of them had joined forces, the metal creatures stood no chance. But then the disembodied voice shook them all.

"_We drink the sounds you give us—_"

"Can you see the others?" Walter shouted in the whirl of darkness.

"—_The cries of your young. The gurgle of a freshly ripped throat—"_

"Does it have to be so damn dark?!" Ben growled.

"—_We give thanks to your desperation._"

In pure anger, fear and panic, Andrea smashed her fists to the ground and released a massive wave of fire and shards of glass with a loud scream, and it was so massive, the pressure alone was enough to shatter the metal creatures around them.

"Beautiful!" Ben shouted. "If only everyone else could cast those spells!"

But Andrea ignored him and continued chasing the creature. She didn't know if she sprinted in the right direction, but there was something that told her it was the right was. Ben and Walter weren't far behind.

"They're dying out there!" Walter shouted.

"I know!" Andrea roared.

"_Petals falling into a river. You are the flowers the Children will pick and cast into dead water._"

She knew she was on the right way, and she pushed her legs even faster. Sooner or later, she would come to a dead end, and It would be waiting. She was sure of it. She came to a bridge, and there, on the other side, an enormous statue with big wings and a long staff rose from the ground. Andrea had to stop to size up her opponent. She had never met such a creature, and it was frightening. But there was no time for fear. She had to dive into the battle, head first. She closed her eyes, only for a second, to try to go back to her sacred place, to the circle with her mother, to find strength and tranquillity, but there was no time. Instead, she took a deep breath and readied herself. "You can do this, Andrea. You're a Hero." She attacked it, with all her might. Her blade hit the hard shell several times, as did her spells, but it didn't seem to budge.

"We need to get past this thing!" Walter and Ben had caught up with her, and they, too were sizing up the opponent.

"_The Dark Guardian shall come and protect us._"

"How are we supposed to get past it?" Ben shouted. "I'm taking some serious punishment here!"

"Ben!" Andrea yelled while swinging her sword and dodging hits from the statue. "The staff! Aim for its staff!"

She saw how Ben nodded, and he took some steps back and raised his rifle. Walter and Andrea continued working on the statue, and even Bernard, that brave, brave dog, had found his mistress, and attacked the statue without any inhibitions or fears.

"Ben," Walter said. "Try to distract it!"

"I'm trying!" Ben said and fired another shot.

"_The Dark Guardian shall protect the Children always._"

Suddenly, a dark hole gaped in the ground, and Shadows swarmed them, just as a final wave of fire knocked the statue to pieces. But the Shadows attacked them violently.

"They're everywhere!" Ben cried. "They're bloody everywhere! Oh no, you're not touching me with your dark, flimsy feelers!"

Andrea let out another magic wave, and the Shadows either died or disappeared, but once the light had gone out, they were gone.

"Haha!" Ben shouted in triumph. "You've been swashbuckled!"

"Come on!" The Queen hurried along the road, and Ben and Walter followed. But along the way waited more Shadows and metal creatures.

"How are we going to fight them all off?" Walter gasped. "They're too many!"

"Just… fight!" Andrea cried.

"_Do not provoke us with the bonegleam shining from your broken bodies—_"

"Come on!" Ben growled. "We can't let these things win?"

"—_It is a transgression against the night!_"

"Stick together!" Walter cried in panic. "We have to stick together!"

And so they stayed together as they rushed through the streets, fighting Shadows and metal creatures.

"I've fought weirder things than you!" Ben cried at the Shadows. "Not much weirder, though…"

Finally, they reached another statue, standing almost as asleep.

And the disembodied voice crept under their skin. "_Don't fight the coil of black serpents. Don't struggle against their embrace. Go softly into the dark and all will be well. You shall be sightless, for that is the most blessed state of being. It is our gift to you._"

"We have to bring it down!" Ben shouted.

"It's blocking the way!" Walter concurred. "You have to smash through its armour!"

"We have to hit it with everything we've got!" Ben said as the last metal creature was shattered, and the only thing preventing us from continuing forwards, was the sleeping statue. "Andrea," he breathed, and stood next to her. "I know you can do it."

She nodded and closed her eyes again, and this time she could see her mother's smile, before the disembodied voice ripped through her mind.

"_Our protector, our sentinel. The engine of the darkness._"

Andrea tried to push it out of her head as she pushed out a stream of fire towards the sentinel, but it suddenly awoke, and dodged it with its staff.

"_We cannot be stopped! Have you not realised that yet?_"

"Yes—you—_can!_" Andrea roared as she fired another massive wave towards it, and this time, it was enough for it to shatter into a million pieces.

"_Are you thinking of your loved ones now?_" the voice asked softly. "_Of how you will never see them again?_"

Andrea suddenly turned, and there, in the windows of some shop, she saw her mother, ill and hollow, burning and screaming. Next to her, she saw Walter, he too ill and hollow. Furthest out, she saw Ben, bleeding, crying and on his knees. He was dying. They were all dying in front of her. "No," she whispered to herself. But then she had to collect herself. "This isn't real," she mused. "This isn't real!" She kept running, until she reached that dead end.

It was almost too calm to be safe, and wherever she turned, there was just silence and emptiness. No voice, no shadow, nothing.

"I can feel it," Walter said as he followed her. "We're getting closer to that thing."

"Where's Ben?"

But Walter ignored her. "Where are you?! Show yourself!"

Suddenly, the hideous creature stood face to face with Walter, and both Walter and Andrea froze in fear.

"_The lost sheep returns to the flock. No one ever leaves the Darkness behind._" And with that, the creature grabbed hold of Walter's head, and Walter, too scared to move, did nothing.

Andrea was also too scared to move. She had never seen such a horrible thing, and with a roar, it forced itself into Walter, and even though she wanted to scream and run to protect him, her legs didn't work.

"WALTER!" Ben shouted from behind her as he came running towards them, but it was too late. The Darkness had invaded Walter with all that it was.

"_Do you see_?" Walter said in a wheezing voice, and even though his body was broken, he sounded stronger than ever. He sounded inhuman. "_Do you see what you have allowed?_" He turned, and caused Andrea to scream. His eyes were gone, replaced by dark, gaping holes._ "We are all shadows now._" He readied himself for a fight and stared right at Andrea with his hollow eyes.

"Andrea!" Ben shouted, but before he had reached her, he suddenly fell to the ground, as if something had stopped him. He rose, and frenetically bashed his fists into an invisible wall. "H-hey! I can't get through!"

Then, Walter's body twisted awkwardly. "Take it out of me, please!" But the body attacked Andrea, and she couldn't do else but to protect herself.

She didn't want to hurt Walter, but she also knew that this wasn't Walter. But he was still in there.

"You can beat it!" Walter, the real Walter, shouted. "You have to!" But the Dark Walter still attacked her viciously. "I am Shadow and Death."

"Walter!" Andrea shouted as she fought the dark one. "I know you're in there! I don't want to hurt you! You have to fight it! Fight the darkness!"

But the Dark Walter only laughed. "I only want to care for you. Am I not your father figure?"

"_You're not Walter_!" Andrea cried and sent a ball of flames towards him.

"I have killed so many of you already," he said. "Why fight me any longer?" Then, the body whined. "Take it out of me, _please_!"

Each time the real Walter came through, there was a stabbing feeling in Andrea's heart. This was his inner demon breaking through, and Andrea couldn't help but to wonder what would have happened to her mother if she hadn't been a Hero.

"Look at what you've done to me!" Walter growled.

At this point, Andrea didn't know whether or not it was the dark one or the real Walter that said these things to her, because after all, it _was_ her fault. Had she not protected him better in the cave, it never would have grabbed hold on him. "Walter!" she cried while fighting. "I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me!"

"Forgiveness?" Walter laughed. "You have done terrible things. Did you think I wouldn't know? Did you think I would allow it? You would be nothing without me!"

Andrea fought with all her might, even though her heart told her not to. One second, Walter could disappear, and the next, he would appear right behind her, and she was afraid that after all the hard blows, the armour was starting to wear out.

"You have been a bad girl, Andrea," he said. "You have neglected your people. You have fed them to the Darkness."

"I have not!" Andrea cried.

"Silly, _spoiled _little girl," Walter teased. "So fragile, so stupid. You think you can rule an entire kingdom? Look where that got you. Perhaps your mother felt relief in dying, knowing she wouldn't have to see you ruin what she built."

"Shut up!" she growled. Tears were streaming down her face, and she was starting to tire. Was this going to be the end of her? Was Walter the one that would take her down?

"Fragile, little humans," Walter laughed. "Broken, beaten, scarred… just like Walter."

"You aren't _Walter!_" she roared and fired off a huge lightning bolt, and as it his Walter's body, she wasn't really ready for it just fall down to the ground like it did. Suddenly, everything lightened up. The thick darkness that had surrounded them, disappeared. The sounds of war were silenced. The broken, beaten and scarred body of Walter laid breathing heavily on the ground as a dark cloud dissolved above it, and Andrea gasped. "Walter!" She hurried to sit next to him and pulled him onto her lap. "Walter!" She sobbed. "I'm sorry."

Walter, the real one, smiled. "You... you took away the darkness. It has been inside of me all this time, but it's light now. I can see the sky, and it's light." There was a calmness in his eyes that Andrea recognised. It was the same calmness she had seen in her mother's eyes the same day she died.

"No, Walter!" Andrea sobbed. "Fight it! You have to live! You can't die! _Fight_!"

He coughed. "I don't think I can fight anymore."

"It's all over, Walter," she said, her voice trembling. "We won. We beat it together."

"Do you remember… the stories I'd tell you when you were a child?" Walter asked weakly. "'There was… a great Queen once, the mightiest Hero of them all.' Remember what you would say?"

She sobbed harder. "'T-teach me to be a Hero.'"

"You've done me proud, Andrea," Walter said and grabbed her hand. "You've always… done me proud." The light that had found its way back to Walter eyes, disappeared, together with all the life that had once filled them, and she could feel him slip away in her embrace.

She trembled, and she didn't want to believe what had just happened. Walter… was dead? She felt Ben's hand on her shoulder, and she broke down in choked tears. "Walter…"

**.:*Ö*:.**

It was all over. It was done. The Darkness had vanished, and Albion was saved. But not all of Albion. Long after Walter's body had been retrieved, Ben sat with the Queen on the sight of the battle, and comforted her. They didn't say a word, but just held each other, until the sun set, and she cried. He was afraid she was too broken to ever be whole again, and all he could do was to hold the pieces together as much as he could. All around them, he could hear villagers crying over their lost ones, but they also seemed relieved that they would survive, that the threat was over. There was almost no celebration. Most people spent the evening with their families, feeling grateful that they were still here, still alive. Some spent their evening at the Cock in the Crown, but they drank in silence, all gathered as closely together as they could. No one had to pay for their drinks, but it didn't matter, really, because no one really felt like drinking.

It was almost as if Ben could hear the sun rise, and as he sat the blood red light, he had never seen such beautiful yet tragic sight in the whole of his life.

"It's Walter," Andrea suddenly coaxed, with her head in his lap.

"Indeed it is," Ben said.

"He was the only father I've ever had," she whispered. "Even when my own father was alive."

"Well, he and Swifty will make a great team in the afterlife," Ben said. "Trust me. They'll form a knockout army with your mom and the rest of the Heroes and fight epic battles again and again."

"Life seems so puny now," she said. "As if we're just… insignificant little jacks on a giant board. It's up there, with the legends, life is."

"No," Ben said. "No, Andrea. You can't think like that. Life is down here. Life is unfair, horrible and ugly, and incredibly wonderful. Walter has moved on. Walter is up there, with the legends, but you have to wait for your turn."

"I should have died today, instead of him," she said. "The Darkness should have taken me in that cave. It should have infested me, like it did my mother."

"No," Ben said firmly. "Everything happens for a reason. Walter carried a heavy weight, yes, but your weight was even heavier. You carried the world, and you still do."

She then looked up at him, her green eyes lacking some of their former gleam. "How can I do this without him?"

"You won't be without him," he said, reassuringly. "He will always be with you."

She smiled, though a small, half forced smile. "Will you?"

To this, he couldn't answer truthfully. But he smiled. "Let's just take one day at a time."

Andrea turned away from him to once again look at the rising sun. "You will leave, won't you? When Elliot and I marry, you will leave."

Ben didn't answer.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Her dark hand was closely wrapped against his, and they didn't utter a word to each other as they sat in the Cock in the Crown, sharing the heavy burden of loss with all the others. He closed his eyes. He didn't speak, not out loud, but in his head, he said, "This was all for you, mother." The battle was over, the war was won. They survived, and the world was considerably lighter now than it had been before. Logan was lighter. When the Darkness disappeared for good, it was as if a weight lifted from his shoulders, and he could finally think clear and breathe for the first time in years. He was now filled with hope, hope of the present and of the future. Next to him, sat the divine Page, his Page, and he had decided, right before the battle begun, that if they survived, he would marry her. He would marry her, he would be the father of her children, and he would be able to tell his grandchildren of this terrible war and of their glorious victory. But sadness still roamed in his heart, as it did in many. They had won, yes, but at what cost? Were their casualties a fair price to pay for a victory like this? Did the end justify the means? Were thousands of lives worth the death of hundreds? Was eternal heartache a fair price to pay for light? There were many questions, so many questions, and Logan sensed he wasn't the only one in the room asking them. He looked at Page. She wasn't crying, but she stared feverishly into the burning candle, gripping his hand so hard, her dark knuckles started to lighten. The sun was steadily rising outside the window, and this was the dawning of a new day, a new era. Not sure if he was the right one to do it, he grabbed his pint and rose. The silent room focused on him, the former King. He raised his glass. "We're here," he said lowly. "We made it through. I raise my cup for those who didn't." Without further due, so did the rest of the party. "May their bravery always be remembered."

"Aye," a man said. "My son died out there. A Shadow got him."

"Mine, too," another man joined in.

"My mother died for me," a boy said from a corner. He couldn't have been older than twelve, but with blood and dirt on his body, and with that look upon his face, he looked significantly older. "She fought until her very last breath."

"My wife, my beautiful Bella, died in my arms," said a man, his voice choked by tears. "With our first child in her belly, she just… died."

These were far from the only ones losing a loved one, and more people joined in to honour their dead. A woman had lost her son and her grandchildren, a man had lost his daughter, a girl had lost her mother, a boy was the only survivor of his family. They had all lost someone; someone they knew or someone they loved. And they all wanted to honour them. Logan felt a strange feeling on contentment and closure as he watched the people inside the tavern bond over their lost ones, and as soft chatter filled the room, he sat down again and faced a smiling Page.

"That was very thoughtful of you," she said. "You mother would have been proud. _Walter_ would have been proud."

Logan looked away. He had wasted so much time not telling everybody about the Darkness. That valuable time could have been spent preparing them for it. "It should have been me," he said. "The Darkness should have infested me, like it did my mother. It had me, but only for a moment, and yet, it has scarred me forever. I can't imagine what horrors Walter had to suffer."

"Fate chose Walter," Page said. "It's nothing you nor I can do anything about."

"Fate… is a very poor chooser," Logan established.

Page shook her head and put her hands on each side of his face. "Don't say that. If Walter was to die in his bed, many years from now, he would forever regret it. He died the way he wanted to; in the midst of the fight. He died a brave man, a warrior. He died a Hero."

"And he will be remembered as one, always."

**.:*Ö*:.**

Walter's funeral was grand. Andrea knew that all he ever wanted was to be buried amongst Heroes, next to his beloved Sparrow, and that was the least Andrea could do for him, after all he'd done for her. His coffin was made of white marble, with the Albion royal seal on the top, and his body was prepared as the Old Kingdom would have done it. His body was wrapped in linen, but his hands and feet were bound in silk. His arms were crossed over his chest and his sword was put in his hands running down the length of his body. His shield from his early days lay at his feet, and two gold coins were placed upon his silk covered eyes. Andrea gave him a kiss on his forehead and before she enclosed the coffin, she sang him a lullaby, and then she left the tomb. A new seal had been made for the tomb, to prevent any possible break-ins from raiders, and as the tomb was sealed, Andrea held a hand on the stone, trying to feel Walter through it. "Good night, Walter," she whispered gently against the stone. "I'll see you again, some day."

Even though his funeral wasn't a public even, half the town had come to witness it, and no one, not one, had said a word. When it was over, the people went back to the village, but Andrea remained, her hand still touching the seal. She then suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned and faced her bother. Without hesitating, she threw herself around his neck and cried. He embraced her tightly, shushing her gently.

"He is in a better place now," he kept saying.

"I killed him!" she kept repeating. It was a fact she had been pondering ever since she understood she actually _would _have to kill him to defeat the Darkness, but she never thought it would be this painful to say it out loud. She killed him. She sent him to his death, in more than one way.

"No, Andrea," Logan said. "The Darkness did. You set him free."

She sobbed against his chest for a while before she looked up at him. "What are we going to do now?"

"What Walter would have wanted us to do," Logan answered. "Move on. You have an entire Kingdom at you feet. They depend on you. Don't neglect them as I did."

Andrea collected herself and nodded. "You're right. I can't dwell in this. I need to be strong and move on. We've all made sacrifices for this. I can't be such a victim."

"The future awaits you," Logan smiled. "And I sense it's bright."

Andrea smiled back. "I believe it is."


	24. The Resurrection of the Great Kingdom

**A/N: **My dearest, loveliest readers; I deeply apologise for being so terribly late! I have no excuse in the world that could justify neglecting you for as long as I have! There have been so much going on lately, I simply haven't had the time. At the moment, I am fully caught up in another project, and I'm pushing for the final stretch. I will try—I truly shall!—to write as much as possible on this one. We are on the final stretch here, as well, with only four chapters to go.

I would like to thank all of you who have had the patience of sticking with this story and not abandoned it. You are the real Heroes. And, I would also like to thank those of you who have found this during the time I've been inactive, and those of you who have even favourited it.

And while I'm at it, I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to whoever suggested this story to be featured in the deviantART group **Fable-Fans**! I feel very honoured. So, thank you so much!

Now, enough ranting!

Enjoy!

* * *

**The Sorceress and the Sharpshooter**

**Chapter Twenty-Four  
**_The Resurrection of the Great Kingdom_

A month had passed since their victory over the Darkness. Andrea had already moved the wedding several times, claiming she still grieved Walter so much, she simply couldn't even imagine getting married without him. That wasn't entirely true. Yes, she still grieved him deeply, but the real reason was, of course, Benjamin Finn. The reason had always been Benjamin Finn. Even when the Elliot proposed to her, she had Ben in mind. At that point, the thought of him was thrilling, dangerous, and now… well, she rather wished he'd been just out of her head forever. After the war, she found herself in his bed more than in her own, and some days, they didn't even seem to leave it. It was as if they tried to get as much of each other to last for a life time, the life time they wouldn't spend together.

The treasury was empty, but with Jasper back, things were starting to run smoothly again. The solidarity was still there, and the city of Bowerstone now ran entirely on favours. The little money that was earned was used to rebuild the city. The factory was turned into a school. The castle was used as a hostel for those who had lost their homes, with Tara in charge. Logan was appointed General, since Ben declined the title. He settled for Major, and Andrea had the stinging feeling he would soon resign from that as well.

The cities around Albion were recovering, as well. Andrea had made several trips around the country to visit them all, and to help as much as she could. She also found it very important for her to show support for those who'd lost home and family to the Darkness, and they were very grateful for the Queen's presence. There were many orphaned children, many widows and widowers, and Andrea was truly touched by the way they all seemed to help each other. It bode well for a prosperous future.

Elliot was impatient. He often complained about Andrea being in the city far too often, or being on journeys, and claiming he was tired of the Major's constant presence. Andrea replied that she was needed in the city, and the Major was needed by her side. But Elliot had, over all, seemed to embrace his position rather quickly, and already acted as if he was King. It bothered the Queen immensely. Though, she could not say it to him. He was, after all, about to be King. If it hadn't been for Ben, he would have been King already. Perhaps it was only right that he entered his role already?

A sculptor had taken it upon him to create a statue of Walter, and already a month after the war, it was ready to be placed in the Castle gardens. Now, this was considered to be the official funeral of Sir Walter Beck, and therefore, the whole town had gathered to honour him.

"I think old Walter would have liked it out here," Ben said cheerfully. "He was always a fan of looking… tall and, um, stony." Then he chuckled. "I can imagine what he would say if he was here now!"

"Shut up, Ben," Andrea smiled and chuckled.

He laughed. "Exactly!"

Page turned to Andrea and smiled. "Walter was right about you; you're a Hero in every sense of the word. The Hero Albion needed."

Andrea blushed. "What will you do now?" She glanced at Logan, and then back at Page.

"I belong down in the city," Page said. "The people there will always need help."

"And I… will join her," Logan said. Andrea wanted to cut in to make a protest, but Logan silenced her. "I will still do right by the title of General. I will just… not live in the castle. It's already settled." He then looked at Page with a fond smile. "Page and I will marry, and soon."

Even though Andrea had somehow expected it, the news was very good news, indeed, and she smiled. "Congratulations!"

"Well, Page!" Ben sneered, charmingly. "You choose Mr Dark over the devilishly handsome Ben Finn? I'm disappointed!"

"Oh, Ben," Page laughed, "I made _that_ decision a long time ago."

"Oh well," Ben said. "Not my fault you're missing out."

Page and Ben kept arguing on friendly terms, and Andrea and Logan both shook their heads and decided to leave the rowing people to themselves. The two siblings, followed by Bernard, took a stroll around the garden, remembering the years before the Darkness had taken a step into their lives.

"And over there," Logan said and pointed towards a shrubbery, "is where you always used to hide when you had stolen food from the kitchen."

"I know," Andrea smiled. "I had my private cupboard there, a little box filled with biscuits and apples. Oh, I remember."

"Do you remember when you got this fellow, then?" Logan bent down to pet Bernard, who happily nudged him with his head so that he almost fell on his bottom.

"How can I forget?" Andrea chuckled. "I had _begged_ for a dog, for _years_! I still don't know how you put up with it."

"Me neither."

"You could have just gotten me a dog earlier."

"Well," Logan sneered, "I'm not going to lie and say that Bernard has been a dream dog."

Andrea gasped in acted offence. "How dare you talk like that about my Bernie?! He's been the perfect dog."

"Especially when it comes to stealing one of my shoes," Logan smiled. "And always the left ones, for some curious reason…"

"He's well trained."

Logan laughed. "That has to be the reason."

They were both silent for a moment, until they arrived at the look-out point in the garden, towering over the whole of Bowerstone.

"I saw her," Andrea said quietly.

Logan looked at her, puzzled. "You saw who?"

"Mother."

"How?"

Andrea smiled faintly. "When I was in Deepwood, the wizard Darius took me to a place, on the edge between what we know, and the unknown. He said that beyond us, beyond the edge where we were standing, lay the oldest part of Albion. He said it was even older that the Old Kingdom, that it was as ancient then as it is now. According to legend, not even the Spire could destroy that place, thus holds mysteries we wouldn't be able to understand. He said that no living soul has ever ventured into the dark, deep forest of our ancestors, and if they have, they've never been heard from again. He said there would always be a part of us that we would never discover. But I got to discover mine." She looked at Logan. "I met mother. And you were there, and so were so many others. I… I think I recognised some of them, but I can't put my finger on who they were, and some, I had never seen before."

"What did she say?" It was only a whisper, but it was intense with emotion.

"She said, 'we are the ones of the Hero Bloodline, and we are one'." She took Logan's hand in hers and looked into his eyes. "She said, that when the time needs it, a Hero will emerge from our bloodline."

Logan nodded, defeated. "I was too polluted by the Darkness, the time needed _you_ to be the Hero."

"Mother said it wasn't your destiny to become a Hero," Andrea whispered, tears forming in her eyes, "but that we are the same. You share as much blood with her as I do, and we share each other's blood. We are one, Logan." Then she chuckled. "Who knows, the next Hero in line might be named Page II."

Logan laughed. "Perhaps."

"Are you going to be happy?"

Logan nodded. "I believe so. Imagine, that after looking for something for so many years without finding it, I've basically had it in my back yard! I just haven't looked that way." He chuckled. "Who would have thought I would find my match in someone like Page, a commoner? And I've never been happier."

"I'm glad."

"How about you? Are you going to be happy?" The tone in his voice was rather curiously serious, as if he was trying to tell her something through that question.

She sighed. "I'll be fine."

"Fine? That's not enough, Andrea. Are you going to be _happy_?"

"I'm alive, my Kingdom is still standing and I'm feeling stronger than ever," she said. "I'll be fine, don't you worry."

"What about Ben, then?"

"What about him?" She clenched her jaw. She suspected Logan already knew about her affair with Ben, but her heart still raced when the thought of him judging her rushed into her mind.

"Will he leave?"

"Why, do you want him to?" she snapped.

"To be honest," Logan said, "it's the other way round. I've gotten used to having him around, and quite frankly, he's an excellent Major. I'm surprised—and a bit alarmed—by the fact he turned down the title of General."

Andrea sighed. "Then you might want to ask him. Why would I know?"

"Well, you _are_ the Queen," he pointed out, "and he's a very loyal subject. A _very_ loyal subject, as I understand." He looked at her, and Andrea swallowed hard and blushed. He knew.

"So, you've become such good friends you tell each other everything now?" She didn't mean to sound so harsh, but if she didn't put that exterior on, she was afraid her brother might hear her unhappiness.

"I wouldn't say that, no," Logan said. "But he didn't have to tell me; I caught him sneak out your window months ago. Had I known then what he was to do for this Kingdom, for you, I would have urged him to ask for your hand, right there right then, Andrea."

"No, you wouldn't," Andrea sighed. "It's because of Page you have found this new respect for commoners like her and Ben. Hadn't it been for Page, you would still have thought it best for people like us to marry Nobles."

Logan sighed. "Perhaps. But things change, Andrea." Then he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ben has always said that he would let you do the right thing and marry Elliot. That _was_ the right thing—then. I believe that has changed."

"Ben doesn't want to be King," Andrea mumbled. "He made that clear."

Logan shifted. "Well… what if he doesn't _have_ to be King?"

Andrea raised her brows. "By what do you mean, brother?"

A smug smile spread across Logan's lips, a smile Andrea had long forgotten, but hated all the same. "You're the Queen, Andrea. You make up the laws now."

She furrowed her brows. "You say I should change the law about marriages?"

"I say that you should change the law about _your_ marriage. You can rule by yourself, because you won't be entirely alone. You have us. Now, if Ben doesn't want to be King, well, don't make him King. Just your husband."

Andrea shook her head, but could not conceal a smile. "I'm trying to wrap this around my head. Logan, are you, the most traditional person I know, telling me to change the laws so that I could marry an old pirate?"

Logan chuckled. "No, I'm telling you to change the laws so that you can be happy."

Her smile died. "I've already accepted the fact I will never have him. And I'm engaged to Elliot. No matter what, I still love Elliot with all my heart. He will make a good and just King."

"He will ruin you," Logan said and shrugged. "The boy's too soft to be King."

"He's my best friend," she insisted. "I can't break his heart like that."

Logan nodded. "I understand. I just want you to be able to live with yourself if you let Ben go."

"Well, I don't know if I can live with myself if I hurt Elliot," she sighed.

**.:*Ö*:.**

The more he attached himself to the Queen's side, the more intensely he started to feel the pain of leaving her. But it had to be done. He wouldn't be able to live that close to her once she was married to another man—or, well, boy. But Ben loved her, with every fibre of his being, he loved her. He wished he would live to see the day little Bens and Andreas were running around, playing hide and seek, stealing food, teasing Jasper… but that would never happen. That would never be. When hearing about the engagement of Logan and Page, something broke inside of him. If Logan had still been King, Ben had married Andrea long ago. He would have kidnapped her if it had come to that, if he'd only had her as his. But the tables were turned. Andrea was Queen, and Ben did not want to be King. He _couldn't _be King. He would be the worst King in the history of Albion. He would even be worse than Logan. He couldn't keep track of money, of duties, of rules and regulations… he would run the kingdom to its grave. He would be such a poor excuse of a King, it would be ridiculous for him to even try. Andrea would be embarrassed. He couldn't have that. No, it was best if he just… disappeared from the picture all and all when Andrea had married Elliot. But that wasn't until she _was_ married.

He was waiting for her, as the sun set, in his quarters in Old Town, and he was impatient. She was late. But as he noticed a hooded figure walking up to his front door, and the soft knock against the wood, he threw the door open.

"I'm sorry," she breathed. "I was delayed in the castle."

Ben didn't reply, but pulled her inside and closed the door shut, and then pulled her to him and kissed her hungrily. He didn't even give her a chance to catch her breath before he pinned her against the wall, his lips tracing her jaw line vigorously.

"Ben," she chuckled. "Ben, wait! Ben!"

But he didn't. No, instead, he pressed himself closer. He couldn't get enough of the woman, and soon enough he would be parted from her for all eternity. So no, he would not stop now.

"Ben," she repeated, a bit more seriously now. "Ben!"

Groaning, he pulled away and looked at her. "Oh, come on, Princess!"

She rolled her eyes. "We need to talk, Ben."

"That doesn't bode well."

She gave him a quick smile as she went to sit down in his bed.

Now, that he liked. He sat down next to her and pulled her close, and she straddled his lap. Even better, was his thought. "So, what do you want to talk about?" She bit her lip as she fiddled with his collar. There was something about the light that hit her face that made her look so young, yet so troubled. And she _was_ young and troubled. It was just, that in this light, it was so evident, it almost made him anxious. It almost made him wonder what he was doing with such a young girl on his lap. But he quickly shook the thought away.

She cleared her throat. "You should know why I was late." She didn't look him in the eye.

"Go on," he urged her.

She sighed. "It was Elliot. He… he wanted to…" She took a deep breath. "He was ready to make love."

Pulling his brows together tightly, Ben felt the raging jealousy spread through him. To share this flesh, this woman, with _him_?! He had to struggle not to growl or to grip her or hold her too tightly and hurt her. "Well… did you?"

She shook her head and looked at him. "No. Of course not. But he was frustrated. And hurt. He knows something is going on. I can see it in his eyes; the hurt, the disappointment… I think he knows."

"So?" The words came out like a deadly drawl, and he seductively caressed her bottom and thighs. "Let the boy know. I bet he wouldn't leave anyway; the boy's too eager to become King, he'd rather have an unfaithful wife and be King than marry a faithful commoner and be no one."

"Don't be cruel, Ben," she muttered. She then sighed heavily. "I am perfectly serious. I'm afraid that he knows. What then? I don't want to hurt him!"

Feeling how the anger still raged within him, mingled with his strong desire for her, he set his face hard and stared at her. "Honestly, Andrea, I don't give a bloody Hobbe's ass about him being hurt."

She slowly caressed his clothed chest, but her touch burned right through, and he wanted nothing but to just have her. "If… if I was to break it off, with Elliot, I mean, would you then reconsider leaving?"

"You wouldn't break it off with Elliot." He pulled her closer, burying his face between her neck and her shoulder. He ached for her. He didn't know how much more talking he could stand.

"But if I did?" She pulled away and looked at him, and he was getting restless.

He groaned. "Please, love, don't start! We agreed on this, didn't we?"

"Ben, listen to me!" Andrea pleaded. "I spoke with Logan, and he suggested I'd change the rules! I am the Queen, after all!"

He furrowed his brows. "You spoke to your brother about us?"

She shrugged. "I didn't have to; he already knew."

"Well, yes, but… you can't _speak_ of us with _him_!" He knew Logan knew about their affair, and Logan also knew about Ben's intentions, that he didn't wish to marry the Queen. That he didn't wish to become King.

"Well, he'd rather see you as King, than Elliot!" Andrea huffed. "It doesn't matter, Ben. He told me, that I could change the laws. You don't have to become King if we marry. For Avo's sake, we don't _have_ to marry! This is a new age! We're free from tyranny and darkness! It's time for some changes!"

He shook his head. "No, Andrea. I told you it wouldn't work."

Furiously—obstinately like a child—she stepped down from his lap, took a few steps backwards and stood staring at him with her arms crossed. "Don't you love me?"

Ben shook his head. "You know I do."

"Then why won't you accept this!?" Her voice was filled with pleading, and he had to admit, that it was rather—no, _very_—arousing to hear her desire him so much.

Rising from the bed, he walked to her with a soft smirk, pulled her to him again. "Let's not quarrel, my dearest, loveliest Andrea. I love you, with all my heart, and I would die before I give you up. But even though we will be apart, I will never love anyone like I love you."

She looked up at him, her eyes gleaming. "So, why do we have to be apart?"

"That's just the way it is," he breathed before he placed his lips on hers. There would be no more talking, he had decided. No more discussing, no more arguing. There would only be their naked bodies, their lust and their greed for one another.

**.:*Ö*:.**

Dawn was approaching, and Andrea woke up just as the first sunlight seeped in through the window. Ben was sleeping heavily by her side, one hand cupping one of her breasts boldly. With a sigh, she removed it, causing him to stir in his sleep. She sat up and observed the Major. He looked, so serene, so careless. She smiled. It was hard to believe that this man, sleeping like a baby entangled in linen sheets, was a ruthless soldier, a former pirate and a ferocious lover. She chuckled to herself when she thought of how her life had been two years ago, when she was still at the castle. If Benjamin Finn had caught her eyes back then, she would have found him disgusting and improper, but oh so fascinating all the same. And she still felt like this lovesick teenager while looking at him. She was well into her eighteenth year, and she had only a couple of months left until her nineteenth birthday, and after that, only a year left of being a teenager. After that, she wouldn't be a little child any longer. She would be twenty, and grown up. She would probably be married—to the wrong man.

Sighing deeply, she rose from the bed and started to dress herself. She felt a stirring in the bed, and a short moment after, Ben sat up, yawning, and rubbed his eyes.

"Good morning, my love," he said, his voice hoarse.

"Good morning," she smiled as she struggled with her corset. "Would you?" She turned her back to him, and she heard him sigh as he stood up, and she felt him tug at the lace. He pulled hard, laced it tightly, and there was just something about the way he did it that made her knees weak. When he was done, she felt his hands slither around her waist, and he pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair.

"I love you, Andrea."

"I love you too, Ben." She turned, and their lips met. She put her hands around his neck, caressing it tenderly. There was just something about mornings with Ben that was special. They never quarrelled in the mornings, and they were never angry, never sad. They were always so tender, so loving to one another. Every morning they had spent together, had been magical. They could just stand there, embracing each other, until their knees would give in, but there was never the time. They kissed goodbye as Andrea had to leave to hurry to the castle, and said that they would talk later that day. They had some things to go through concerning the city and the constructions and whatnot, and as she left, she felt the same emptiness she always felt when leaving him.

The city had just woken up, and even though the reminders of the bloody battle still shadowed the city, the people kept their smiles on, doing what they could to rebuild their lives. She was politely greeted as she walked through the streets, and a lot of people found it comforting to have the Queen—the Hero—walking the streets so often. She did what she could to help the people on her way back to the castle, everything from carrying things to helping to set things up. Once she reached the castle—much later than anticipated—she met Tara in the courtyard. She was busy directing the staff, and she gave Andrea a smile and a bow as she passed by, and Andrea smiled back and nodded. Well inside, she was greeted by Jasper.

"Oh, my dear, you look dreadful," he said. "I'll draw you a bath."

Andrea nodded. "Thank you, Jasper." Another one that greeted her vigorously, was Bernard. The dog came sprinting towards her, his black and white fur swaying in the wind, and his bark echoing between the stone walls. "Hello boy!" She smiled as she hunched down to embrace the dog, as he licked her in the face, his feet stomping eagerly on the floor, his tail wiggling furiously. "Oh, who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?!"

"You should take better care of your pet," she heard her brother drawl from the down stairs drawing room. Andrea chuckled as she entered it. He was sitting in one of the sofas, reading a book. "While you were on your lustful adventures—" she gasped and hushed him angrily "—that _dog_ kept chewing on my shoes."

Andrea strode up to him. "Don't you dare do that, Logan!"

He looked up, his brows furrowed. "Do what? Acknowledge that you were out all night, probably with—"

"Shush!" she squeaked angrily and stiffened.

His lips curled into a smirk. "Don't worry, dear, your husband-to-be isn't here at the moment. He's in the throne room, practicing his speech."

Andrea raised a brow. "What speech?"

"His coronation speech," Logan drawled and returned to the book. "Really, Andrea, I know you don't find him that interesting, but a little interest in what the boy's doing wouldn't hurt, would it?"

She sighed heavily and slumped down next to him. "Avo, I'm going to be the worst wife ever."

"To him, yes," Logan chuckled. "You'd be wretched. He wouldn't stand a chance against your stubbornness and your constant complaining."

"I beg your pardon?" She glared at her brother, but he was still smirking.

He looked up. "Oh, don't take is so personally, dearest sister. You know exactly of what I'm talking."

She made a face and crossed her arms. "Haven't you got some wedding plans to attend to, yourself?"

"Actually," he said as he closed the book, "I have. Page and I are going to look over the ceremony. She wished there to be something of her Samarkand roots there, as well. I have read through these books all morning, but I cannot find anything concerning wedding ceremonies… mother didn't have that much about it, apparently."

She huffed. "Your devotion sickens me."

He smiled. "Now, come, come, my dear, don't be like that. Page has asked for your assistance regarding the wedding dress. She'd be heartbroken if you didn't help her."

She sighed. "Oh, of course I will."

"Is the journey to Brightwall set yet?" Logan asked.

Andrea sighed again. "No. Well, yes, it's just… I don't know how to tell Elliot that Ben's coming with me. He's been looking forwards of going there himself, but in all honesty, I don't want him to come."

Logan shrugged. "This isn't personal. Elliot isn't King yet. Ben, however, has an established title as Major. He's trusted by the people, and has good connections in Brightwall. It only makes sense that he should go with you."

"Yes, well, if only Elliot could see it that way," she muttered. "He's already jealous as it is."

"You must give the boy some credit for being as accepting as he is," Logan said. "If the tables were turned, and it was Ben you were to marry, and Elliot you were sneaking off to, you'd find that Ben would be much less willing to accept your behaviour."

"If it only was that way, brother," Andrea sighed.

"Yes, well, you won't change your mind, so it's your own fault, really," Logan shrugged.

Andrea huffed. "_I_ won't change _my_ mind? It's _him_ that refuses to change _his_!"

"Well, no matter, you're dwelling on a problem that isn't really a problem," Logan drawled as he took his leave.

"It _is _a problem!" she called after him, but he gave no response. Sinking deeper into the sofa, like a little child, she muttered.

Suddenly, Elliot popped into the room. "Oh, there you are! I thought I heard your voice. What is a problem?"

Andrea shook her head. "Nothing, dear."

"Oh…" He seemed a bit nervous, fiddling with his fingers. "Well, Andrea, there's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Andrea straightened. "Yes?"

He sat down next to her and took her hands in his. "I know that you're still mourning, and I respect that. It is also because of it, I suggest that you and I get married once we're in Brightwall. What do you think?"

Andrea sat gawking at him. She had not expected that. "Well…" She tried to figure out what to say, but Elliot anticipated her.

"I know it's not a grand wedding that is suspected from a royal couple, but you yourself said you'd rather want a small wedding than a grand one!"

Andrea frowned. "Elliot," she began, and then sighed, "I know you've been looking forwards to this trip for a long time, but… the Major will come with me."

His face changed, and he pulled away, rising from the sofa. "But of course," he snapped. "Why wouldn't he? You've spent every waking hour with that man since the end of the war, so why not go on a lovely trip with him, as well?"

"Elliot," she sighed, "this isn't personal! Ben is Major! The people trust him, and his presence there would mean a lot to the people of Brightwall! And, he's spent some part of his youth there, and that isn't forgotten!"

Elliot huffed. "So, you're telling me that this is solely for the purpose of the citizens of Brightwall to be pleased?" He started to pace the room. "Forgive me for doubting that; you have spent so much time with that man, people are starting to ask me the most ridiculous things! 'Is the Queen getting cold feet?' and 'Don't you think the Major would look grand in a King's suit?'! You have to understand my suspicions, Andrea. They are quite fair. The people of this city know that instead of spending time with your husband-to-be, the future King of this land no less, you'd rather spend time with a… a… a _scoundrel_ like him!"

"Elliot!" Andrea barked and stood up. "Major Finn is _not_ a scoundrel! He is the Major of this Kingdom. As for now, _he_ has more authority than you. You aren't King just yet."

Elliot straightened, trying to compensate his lack of height and stature, with a confident posture. "As for now, yes. But I expect that to change soon. Or are you going to move it again?"

She sighed, knowing she'd have to either break it off or go through with it—whatever she chose, she had to do it sooner than later. Finally, she nodded. "When Ben and I return, you shall name the day."

"Then I name the day after your return," Elliot said.

Andrea nodded, defeated. "So be it."

Elliot, somewhat confused, nodded and turned to leave the room. But just as he was to leave, he turned. "Andrea," he said softly, "I am sorry for what happened yesterday. I—I shouldn't have said and done what I did. I was just feeling threatened, as if I no longer possessed your heart. It was merely an act of desperation and devastation, and I do apologise, most sincerely. It was wrong of me to demand that of you, to demand your—your… flesh, like that." His cheeks turned scarlet as he looked down on his boots.

While not looking, Andrea rolled her eyes. "You are excused. You of all people should know I cannot be forced to do anything."

"Yes, well, it was still very wrong of me," he persisted. "I hope you will find it in your heart not to think of me as… disgusting."

She sighed and walked up to him, cupped his face in her hands, and smiled. "I will never find you disgusting."

He leaned in and kissed her softly, and she kissed him back, though not as desirably as him. She could feel there was a frustration in him, that he wanted to get out. He wanted her. He wanted to _have_ her, and the thought itself… now, _that_ was somewhat disgusting to her. Elliot was a wonderful person; handsome, fair, gentle… but he was nothing compared to Ben. When they broke away from each other, they both had their eyes closed, and he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I love you, Andrea."

"I love you too, Be—Elliot!" She flung her eyes open and took a step back. He looked at her, bewildered. "I love you too, Elliot," she repeated, swallowing hard.

He cracked up in a smile. "You are so sweet when you do that."

"Do what?" Her voice was weak. She had been so close. So close of completely destroying things.

He leaned in to kiss the top of her head. "When you are being modest." With another smile, he left the room, and Andrea was left panicking.

She had just realised that she did _not_ love Elliot. The words didn't feel right. It was only one man, and one man alone, those words would ever feel right towards, and it certainly was not Elliot.


End file.
